Shloka 9

Account of the Ripening of Karma

Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma

Devanagari script

धेनुं बहुगुणां हैमीं बहुदुग्धां सदक्षिणाम् । सुवर्णप्रतिमां चैव तस्य पुत्रो भवेद्ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

dhenuṃ bahuguṇāṃ haimīṃ bahudugdhāṃ sadakṣiṇām | suvarṇapratimāṃ caiva tasya putro bhaveddhruvam

Translation

If one gives a golden cow—endowed with many virtues, yielding abundant milk, and accompanied by proper dakṣiṇā—and also a golden image, then a son will surely be born to him.

Word by Word

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म

• बहुगुणाम्: of many virtues
• बहुगुणाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-गुण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (having many qualities)

• हैमीम्: golden
• हैमीम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (golden)

• बहुदुग्धाम्: yielding much milk
• बहुदुग्धाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु-दुग्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (having much milk)

• सदक्षिणाम्: accompanied by a fee (dakṣiṇā)
• सदक्षिणाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सदक्षिणा’ = दक्षिणा सहित (with a priestly fee)

• सुवर्णप्रतिमाम्: a golden image/idol
• सुवर्णप्रतिमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण-प्रतिमा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म (a golden image)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic: indeed/just)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• पुत्रः: a son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवेत्: would be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative: certainly)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative instruction within Brahma-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव→च+एव; भवेद्ध्रुवम्→भवेत्+ध्रुवम्.

FAQs

What donation is prescribed in this verse?

The verse prescribes gifting a golden cow characterized as virtuous and abundant in milk, given along with dakṣiṇā, and additionally gifting a golden image (suvarṇa-pratimā).

What result (phala) does the Padma Purana associate with this dāna?

It states that the donor will certainly obtain a son (putra-prāpti), presenting the act as a progeny-bestowing merit.

What ethical emphasis appears in the phrase “sadakṣiṇām”?

It highlights that giving should be complete and respectful—accompanied by appropriate dakṣiṇā—underscoring integrity and proper support of the ritual context rather than a merely symbolic gift.