Varaha Purana 102.6: Adhyaya 102, Shloka 6

The Merit and Ritual Procedure of Donating a Jaggery Cow

Guḍadhenu

Uttara Bhāga · Guḍadhenu–Māhātmya (classification and proportional rules)

Devanagari script

उत्तमा गुडधेनुः स्यात्सदा धाराचतुष्टयम् । भागार्धेन तु तौल्येन चतुर्थांशेन वत्सकम् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 102.6

Transliteration

uttamā guḍadhenuḥ syāt sadā dhārācatuṣṭayam | bhāgārdhena tu taulyena caturthāṁśena vatsakam ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

अच्छी गुड़ वाली गाय में चार धारें होती हैं। वज़न से आधा हिस्सा गाय का बनाओ। बच्चे का हिस्सा चौथा बनाओ।

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Word by Word

• uttamā: excellent/best
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective qualifying guḍadhenuḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)

• guḍa-dhenuḥ: the jaggery-cow (ritual cow made of jaggery)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'jaggery-cow' (guḍasya dhenuḥ)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: guḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhenu (प्रातिपदिक)

• syāt: should be
• Type: Verb
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)

• sadā: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)

• dhārā-catuṣṭayam: a set of four streams (of offering)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (1st/2nd), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'a set of four streams' (dhārāṇāṁ catuṣṭayam)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: dhārā (प्रातिपदिक) + catuṣṭaya (प्रातिपदिक)

• bhāga-ardhena: by half a share
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'by half a portion'
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: bhāga (प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (प्रातिपदिक)

• tu: and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: tu (अव्यय)

• taulyena: by an equal measure / by weight proportion
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; abstract noun 'equality/weight-measure' (context: proportion/measure)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: taulya (प्रातिपदिक)

• caturtha-aṁśena: by a fourth portion
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'by a fourth part'
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक) + aṁśa (प्रातिपदिक)

• vatsakam: calf
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: vatsaka (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• syāt sadā = syāt + sadā (no change)
• caturthāṁśena = caturtha + aṁśena (vowel coalescence a+a→ā)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Vira rasaSetting: Ritual workshop / dāna venue

Speaker

Hotṛ

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Niyama (regulated practice)

Subjects

Ritual PrescriptionsMetrology (weights/portions)Material Culture

Core idea

Dharma is sustained by standards—clarity in definitions and proportions prevents arbitrariness in sacred acts.

In practice

In religious giving and charity projects, set transparent measures and fair proportions; avoid vague or showy but ungrounded offerings.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Dāna-vidhi
• Ritual Metrology
• Sanskrit Technical Vocabulary

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

The verse preserves technical proportional language, useful for reconstructing how ritual objects were standardized and classified in Purāṇic instructional literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No location is mentioned.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

It emphasizes precision and standardization in the act of giving, treating donation as a carefully regulated cultural practice.