Varaha Purana 112.80: Adhyaya 112, Shloka 80

Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot

Hema-kumbha

Pūrva Bhāga · Calendar observances (Kārttika) and ritual gifting

Devanagari script

सरत्नं पुरुषः कृत्वा कार्त्तिक्यां द्वादशी दिने ॥ अथवा पञ्चदश्यां च कार्त्तिकस्य विशेषतः ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 112.80

Transliteration

saratnaṃ puruṣaḥ kṛtvā kārttikyāṃ dvādaśī dine || athavā pañcadaśyāṃ ca kārttikasya viśeṣataḥ ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

एक आदमी बना के उसमें गहने लगा लो। यह कार्तिक महीने की बारहवीं तारीख पे करो। या फिर कार्तिक की पंद्रहवीं तारीख पे भी कर सकते हो, खास कर कार्तिक महीने में।

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Word by Word

• सरत्नम्: with jewels, jewel-adorned
• Type: Adjective
• Form: द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुं); समासः सहार्थक (with jewels)
• Role: कर्म (Object; what is made)
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह-अर्थ) + रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• पुरुषः: a man/person
• Type: Noun
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine/पुं)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Verb
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done/made)
• Role: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Root: √कृ (धातु)

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārttikī
• Type: Noun
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine/स्त्री); कालवाचक (time)
• Role: अधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Root: कार्त्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)

• द्वादशी: the twelfth lunar day
• Type: Noun
• Form: प्रथमा/सप्तमी-सम्भाव्य (context: ‘on the twelfth’), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तिथि-वाचक
• Role: अधिकरण (Time; tithi)
• Root: द्वादशी (प्रातिपदिक)

• दिने: on the day
• Type: Noun
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुं)
• Role: अधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)

• अथवा: or else
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or else)
• Role: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)

• पञ्चदश्याम्: on the fifteenth lunar day
• Type: Noun
• Form: सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine/स्त्री); तिथि-वाचक
• Role: अधिकरण (Time; tithi)
• Root: पञ्चदशी (प्रातिपदिक)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)
• Role: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• कार्त्तिकस्य: of Kārttika (month)
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular/एकवचन), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine/पुं); मासवाचक
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Root: कार्त्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)

• विशेषतः: especially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/विशेष-बोधक (especially, particularly)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)

Sandhi Notes

• ‘सरत्नम्’ treated as sahārtha-tatpuruṣa (sa-ratnam)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Bhakti rasa

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Inquisitive about calendrical specifics and proper materials

What she asks

What specific gift (ratna-yukta puruṣa) should be prepared, and on which Kārttika tithis is it especially efficacious?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Karma-kāṇḍa pragmatics (time–act–object alignment)

Subjects

Ritual CalendarEthicsMaterial Culture

Core idea

Ritual fruit depends on congruence of dāna-object, intention, and sacred time (kāla).

In practice

If undertaking Kārttika observances, plan dāna materials in advance, choose dvādaśī/pūrṇimā, and perform the gift with śraddhā and proper recipients.

The Varaha avatara

With the Earth

Pedagogical instruction to Bhū-devī about timed dāna in Kārttika.

Dharma

Vrata

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaiṣṇava Calendar
• Dāna (Gift traditions)

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It indicates the importance of lunar calendrics in Purāṇic ritual life and suggests a tradition of symbolic/representational gifts associated with merit-making.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named; the verse is temporal (month and lunar days).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To coordinate charitable/ritual acts with calendrically significant days, highlighting disciplined timing as part of ethical practice.