Varaha Purana 110.5 — Adhyaya 110, Shloka 5
The Glory and Procedure of the Grain-Cow (Dhānyadhenu) Donation
उत्तमा तु भवेद्धेनुर्द्रोणैश्चापि चतुष्टयैः । मध्यमा च तदर्धेन वित्तशाठ्यं न कारयेत् ॥
uttamā tu bhaved dhenur droṇaiś cāpi catuṣṭayaiḥ | madhyamā ca tad-ardhena vitta-śāṭhyaṃ na kārayet ||
La “vaca” de la ofrenda se considera excelente cuando se hace con cuatro droṇas (de grano); la de grado medio, con la mitad de ello. No debe practicarse la mezquindad respecto a la riqueza en tal donación.
Varāha (default dialogue framework)
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":"Grade the ritual ‘cow’ offering by quantity (excellent at four droṇas; middling at half) and avoid stinginess in wealth when giving.","karmic_consequence":"Generous, properly measured dāna yields higher merit and social-sacral esteem; miserliness (vitta-śāṭhya) reduces puṇya and undermines the spirit of dāna."}
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 giving","core_concept":"Dāna is purified by proportionate sacrifice; the inner vice is not poverty but intentional stinginess.","practical_application":"Give within capacity but without deceitful under-measuring; set a clear standard (measure/budget) and honor it."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Economic History"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: dharmavīra
Type: social-ritual practice sphere
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 110.6 (proportions for calf); Varāha Purāṇa 110.7-110.8 (ornamentation/materials)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor measures grain into a vessel marked in droṇas, with two exemplar piles/containers indicating ‘excellent’ and ‘middling’ offerings, while a teacher-figure gestures against stinginess.","item_prompts":["measuring vessel labeled droṇa","grain heaps: four-droṇa and two-droṇa","teacher/instructor hand gesture (upadeśa)","ledger/cloth bundle of wealth symbolizing ‘vitta’","simple altar in background"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bold outlines, ritual teacher instructing on measured generosity, prominent grain vessels and clear numeric symbolism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on measuring vessels and offering tray, central figure emphasizing dāna, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined domestic scene with careful depiction of grain texture and vessels, calm didactic mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature, narrative split: left shows four-droṇa excellence, right shows half measure, with a caption-like visual cue against miserliness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, firm, ethically charged","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"authoritative, admonitory but composed"}
FAQs
It provides metrological data (droṇa) and graded standards for donations, offering evidence for how ritual prescriptions intersected with household economy and commodity measures.
No geographic reference is present; the verse is economic-ritual in focus.
Avoid miserliness in charitable giving; generosity is framed as integral to the rite’s integrity.
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