Varaha Purana 111.3: Adhyaya 111, Shloka 3

The Eulogy of Donating a Tawny (Kapilā) Cow

Devanagari script

कपिलायाः शिरो ग्रीवा सर्वतीर्थानि भामिनि ॥ पितामहनीयॊगाच्च निवसन्ति हि निश्चयः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 111.3

Transliteration

kapilāyāḥ śiro grīvā sarvatīrthāni bhāmini || pitāmahaniyogāc ca nivasanti hi niścayaḥ ||

Translation

O Strahlende, im Haupt und im Hals der kapilā‑Kuh wohnen alle Tīrthas, gewiss und ohne Zweifel, kraft der Anordnung des Großvaters (Brahmā).

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Word by Word

• kapilāyāḥ: of the Kapilā cow
• kapilāyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg)

• śiraḥ: head
• śiraḥ: Adhikarana/Deshya (अधिकरण/स्थान-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• grīvā: neck
• grīvā: Adhikarana/Deshya (अधिकरण/स्थान-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grīvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg)

• sarva-tīrthāni: all sacred tīrthas
• sarva-tīrthāni: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nom pl); कर्मधारयः ('all the sacred fords')

• bhāmini: O lovely lady
• bhāmini: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc sg)

• pitāmaha-niyogāt: by Brahmā’s ordinance
• pitāmaha-niyogāt: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक) + niyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Abl sg); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('by the ordinance of Pitāmaha/Brahmā')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• nivasanti: reside; dwell
• nivasanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni+vas (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः नि

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतुवाचक-निपात (particle: indeed)

• niścayaḥ: certainly; assuredly
• niścayaḥ: Pratijna (प्रतिज्ञा/निश्चयवाचक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niścaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); वाक्योपसंहारार्थकः (assertive: 'certainly')

Speaker

Hotā (instructional voice; addressee ‘bhāmini’ likely the inquirer within the dialogue frame)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ancient Geography
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It illustrates a Purāṇic strategy of mapping tīrtha-concepts onto ritual objects/animals, revealing how sacred geography could be ritually internalized and symbolically condensed.

Which geographic location is identified?

No single site is named; the verse generalizes to “all tīrthas,” a totalizing sacred-geography motif rather than a specific place.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To regard the gifted cow with heightened reverence, treating the act of giving as participation in a sanctified, tīrtha-like field.