Varaha Purana 111.4: Adhyaya 111, Shloka 4

The Eulogy of Donating a Tawny (Kapilā) Cow

Devanagari script

प्रातरुत्थाय यो मर्त्यः कपिलागलमस्तकात् ॥ च्युतं तु भक्त्या पानीयं शिरसा वन्दते शुचिः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 111.4

Transliteration

prātar utthāya yo martyaḥ kapilāgalamastakāt || cyutaṃ tu bhaktyā pānīyaṃ śirasā vandate śuciḥ ||

Translation

Wer morgens aufsteht und, in reiner Observanz, in Hingabe das trinkbare Wasser verehrt —das vom Hals und Haupt der kapilā‑Kuh herabgetropft ist— und sich dabei mit dem Haupt verneigt, erlangt Verdienst.

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Word by Word

• prātaḥ: in the morning
• prātaḥ: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prātar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: in the morning)

• utthāya: having risen
• utthāya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut+sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); उपसर्गः उत्; 'having risen'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• martyaḥ: mortal man
• martyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); यः इति विशेष्य

• kapilā-gala-mastakāt: from the Kapilā’s neck/head region
• kapilā-gala-mastakāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapilā (प्रातिपदिक) + gala (प्रातिपदिक) + mastaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी एकवचन (Abl sg); तत्पुरुषः ('from the head/upper part of the Kapilā’s neck')

• cyutam: fallen; dripped
• cyutam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cyuta (कृदन्त; √cyu)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg); भूतकृत्-क्त (past passive participle); विशेषणम् (of pānīya)

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg)

• pānīyam: water (drinkable water)
• pānīyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pānīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc sg)

• śirasā: with (his) head
• śirasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg)

• vandate: salutes; bows to
• vandate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vand (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• śuciḥ: pure; clean
• śuciḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom sg); विशेषणम् (of martyaḥ)

Speaker

Hotā (continuing)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Ritual Studies
• Vaiṣṇava Traditions

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It preserves a micro-ritual of purity and reverence associated with cattle, relevant to the study of domestic ritual life and embodied devotional gestures in Purāṇic culture.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named; the practice is domestic/ritual rather than tied to a pilgrimage site.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Cultivation of reverence (bhakti) and personal purity (śuci) through disciplined morning practice.