Varaha Purana 112.3: Adhyaya 112, Shloka 3

Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot

Hema-kumbha

Devanagari script

होमधेनुः सदा पुण्या सा ज्ञेया कपिलक्षणा ॥ कियत्‍यः कपिलाः प्रोक्ताः स्वयमेव स्वयम्भुवा

Sanskrit recitationVaraha Purana 112.3

Transliteration

homadhenuḥ sadā puṇyā sā jñeyā kapilakṣaṇā || kiyatyaḥ kapilāḥ proktāḥ svayam eva svayambhuvā

Translation

إن «هومادهينو»؛ بقرة القرابين النارية، ذاتُ فضلٍ دائم، وينبغي أن تُعرَف بأنها تحمل سِمة كابيلا. فكم عددُ الكابيلا التي أعلنها سوايامبهو (براهما) بنفسه؟

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Word by Word

• होमधेनुः: the sacrificial cow (for homa)
• होमधेनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम-धेनु (प्रातिपदिक; components: होम + धेनु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (होमस्य धेनुः)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• पुण्या: meritorious/holy
• पुण्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सा: she/that (cow)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ज्ञेया: should be known
• ज्ञेया: Vidhi (विधि/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive; ‘to be known’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• कपिलक्षणा: having the marks of a kapilā (tawny cow)
• कपिलक्षणा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपि-लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; components: कपि + लक्षण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (कपिलक्षणं यस्याः सा)

• कियत्‍यः: how many
• कियत्‍यः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कियत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-विशेषण (interrogative)

• कपिलाः: kapilā cows
• कपिलाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• प्रोक्ताः: have been stated
• प्रोक्ताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• स्वयम्: by oneself
• स्वयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• स्वयम्भुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• स्वयम्भुवा: Karana (करण/Agent-instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

Speaker

Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī) (implied continuation of inquiry)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dialogue
• Vedic Ritual Reception
• Dāna Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a technical vocabulary linking Purāṇic teaching with older sacrificial idioms (homa, agnihotra), indicating how later texts reframed ritual categories into ethical-merit discourse.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is named; the verse is classificatory, asking about the number/types of Kapilā as described by Svayambhū.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It promotes informed practice: merit is associated with understanding correct definitions (lakṣaṇa) and authoritative classification rather than mere performance.