Varaha Purana 109.4: Adhyaya 109, Shloka 4

The Merit and Procedure of Donating the ‘Cotton Cow’

Kārpāsa-dhenu

Devanagari script

गोमयेनोपलिप्तायां दर्भानास्तीर्य वै तिलान् ॥ तन्मध्ये स्थापयेद्धेनुं वस्त्रमाल्यानुलेपनाम्

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 109.4

Transliteration

gomayenopaliptāyāṃ darbhān āstīrya vai tilān || tanmadhye sthāpayeddhenuṃ vastramālyānulepanām

Translation

गोबर से जगह साफ करो, ऊपर दर्भ घास और तिल बिछाओ। बीच में गाय को बिठाओ, कपड़े और फूल से सजाओ।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• गोमयेन: with cow-dung
• गोमयेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां मयः)

• उपलिप्तायाम्: on (a place) that has been smeared
• उपलिप्तायाम्: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-लिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; (भूमौ/स्थले) उपलिप्तायाम् = ‘smeared’

• दर्भान्: kuśa grass
• दर्भान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• आस्तीर्य: having spread
• आस्तीर्य: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्तॄ (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव-क्रियाविशेषण (gerund/absolutive); ‘having spread’

• वै: indeed
• वै: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis)

• तिलान्: sesame seeds
• तिलान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• तत्-मध्ये: in the middle of that
• तत्-मध्ये: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य मध्ये)

• स्थापयेत्: should place
• स्थापयेत्: विधेय-क्रिया (Injunctive/Instructional action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; causative sense via √स्था → स्थापयति (णिच्)

• धेनुम्: a cow
• धेनुम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वस्त्र-माल्य-अनुलेपनाम्: (a cow) with cloth, garlands, and unguents
• वस्त्र-माल्य-अनुलेपनाम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वस्त्र + माल्य + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः; धेनुम् विशेषयति (adjectival)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicitly marked in this fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ritual
• South Asian Material Religion
• Textual Philology

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a standardized ritual-material sequence (plastering, spreading ritual items, central placement, adornment), useful for reconstructing medieval gift-ritual practice from textual sources.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific location is named; the setting is a prepared ritual space/altar implied by upaliptāyām and the use of darbha and tila.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To perform gifting with careful preparation and cleanliness, emphasizing disciplined procedure rather than coercion or display.