Varaha Purana 103.10 — Adhyaya 103, Shloka 10
Ritual Procedure for the Donation of the ‘Sugar-Cow’ (Śarkarā-Dhenu)
सत्पात्रञ्च द्विजं दृष्ट्वा आगतं श्रोत्रियं गृहे । तादृशाय प्रदातव्या पुच्छदेशे विमृश्य च ॥
satpātrañ ca dvijaṃ dṛṣṭvā āgataṃ śrotriyaṃ gṛhe | tādṛśāya pradātavyā pucchadeśe vimṛśya ca ||
Wenn man einen würdigen Empfänger sieht—einen Dvija, einen Śrotriya—der ins Haus gekommen ist, soll man einem solchen geben, nachdem man die Schwanzgegend (der Kuh) berührt und geprüft hat, wie es vorgeschrieben ist.
Varāha (default, not explicit in fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"When a satpātra śrotriya brāhmaṇa arrives at one’s home, give (especially go-dāna) following the prescribed handling—touching/examining the cow’s tail region as part of the rite.","karmic_consequence":"Proper recipient-selection and correct ritual handling make the gift ‘pure’ and fruitful; giving to unworthy recipients or ignoring procedure diminishes puṇya and may incur doṣa (ritual fault)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of discernment (pātra-śuddhi)","core_concept":"Dāna is sanctified by the worthiness of the recipient and the giver’s attentive conformity to vidhi.","practical_application":"Cultivate readiness to honor learned guests; verify suitability (satpātra) and perform giving with mindful procedure rather than impulse."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Procedure"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: dharmavīra
Type: domestic ritual space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 103.12–14 (directional placement, mantras, dakṣiṇā)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrotriya brāhmaṇa arrives at a house; the householder leads a cow forward, ritually touching the tail region before gifting.","item_prompts":["brāhmaṇa with staff/waterpot","cow with decorated tail","householder in añjali","threshold/doorway (gṛha)","ritual kusa/kalasha nearby"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal figures, ornate cow adornment, dignified śrotriya at doorway, ritual gesture at cow’s tail, earthy palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold accents on cow ornaments and brāhmaṇa halo-like backdrop, donor presenting cow at threshold, rich textiles.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined domestic architecture, subtle expressions of reverence, detailed cow decoration, gentle ritual action.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate courtyard scene, delicate lines, cow and calf rendered softly, emphasis on hospitality mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent, procedural","suggested_raga":"Dhanyāsi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, respectful"}
FAQs
It preserves a ritual-ethical model where social eligibility (pātratā) and a small procedural act accompany the transfer of a major gift (a cow).
No location is named; the setting is the donor’s household (gṛhe).
Identify a qualified recipient and perform the gift with due procedure rather than as a careless transaction.
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