Varaha Purana 111.19: Adhyaya 111, Shloka 19
The Eulogy of Donating a Tawny (Kapilā) Cow
गोसहस्रं च यो दद्यादेकां वा कपिलां नरः ॥ सममेतत्पुरा प्राह ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ॥
gosahasraṃ ca yo dadyād ekāṃ vā kapilāṃ naraḥ || samam etat purā prāha brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ ||
Ob ein Mann tausend Kühe spendet oder auch nur eine einzige kapilā-Kuh (falb/lohfarben) — dies wurde schon vor alters von Brahmā, dem Ahnherrn der Welten, als gleichwertig erklärt.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Giving even a single Kapilā-cow is declared (by Brahmā) to be equivalent in merit to giving a thousand cows.","karmic_consequence":"Sincere, properly qualified Kapilā-go-dāna yields immense puṇya comparable to large-scale giving; contempt for ‘small’ but prescribed gifts forfeits great merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of intention and scriptural authority","core_concept":"Merit is not merely quantitative; a prescribed, symbolically potent gift (Kapilā) can outweigh sheer number when aligned with śāstra and right intent.","practical_application":"Do not postpone charity for lack of abundance; perform the śāstric gift you can, with correctness (vidhi) and faith (śraddhā)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Textual Authority"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Kapilā-go-dāna section and its phala-śruti; subsequent ‘Ubhayatomukhī’ framing in the next chapter
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha cites Brahmā’s ancient declaration: a single tawny Kapilā-cow equals a thousand cows—shown as an allegorical balance scale where one Kapilā outweighs a herd.","item_prompts":["balance scale with one Kapilā on one pan and many cows on the other","Brahmā as authority figure in the background (four faces suggested)","Varāha narrating to an audience","inscription-like banner indicating ‘samam’ (equivalent)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: symbolic scale motif; Brahmā seated on lotus; Varāha gesturing; decorative herd silhouettes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf scale and halos; richly ornamented Kapilā; Brahmā with embossed crown and lotus throne.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant allegory with fine detailing on the scale; subdued palette; emphasis on clarity of the teaching.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: playful yet reverent allegory—pastoral herd in rolling hills; central Kapilā highlighted; Brahmā and Varāha in narrative corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative, proclamatory","suggested_raga":"Śaṅkarābharaṇam","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firm, citing-tradition cadence on ‘Brahmā… prāha’"}
FAQs
Invoking Brahmā functions as an authority strategy common in Purāṇic literature, legitimizing ethical claims through primordial testimony.
No location is identified; the verse is an authority-claim about merit.
It emphasizes the value of intention and the exemplary gift (kapilā), presenting a principle of equivalence in charitable merit.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.