Adhyaya 106: The Significance and Rite of Donating the ‘Curd-Cow’ (Dadhidhenudāna)
Dadhidhenudāna-māhātmya
Ritual-Manual (Dāna-vidhi and Phalaśruti)
ໃນກອບບົດສົນທະນາ ວະຣາຫະ–ປຣຶຖະວີ ຕາມແນວຂອງວະຣາຫະປຸຣານະ ອັດທະຍາຍນີ້ນໍາເສີນຄູ່ມືພິທີ (ວິທານ) ຢ່າງກະທັດຮັດສໍາລັບ “ດະທິເທນຸດານ” ຄືການຖວາຍທານ ‘ໂຄ’ ທີ່ສ້າງ/ແທນດ້ວຍນົມສົ້ມ (curd) ແລະເຄື່ອງບູຊາທີ່ກ່ຽວຂ້ອງ. ໂຫຕຣີສອນກະສັດໃຫ້ຈັດສະຖານທີ່ໃຫ້ບໍລິສຸດດ້ວຍການທາຂີ້ງົວ, ຈັດມະນະດົນ/ມາດຕາພື້ນດິນທີ່ປະດັບງາມ, ປູຫຍ້າກຸສາ ແລະໜັງກວາງດໍາ, ແລ້ວວາງໝໍ້ນົມສົ້ມເທິງກອງທັນຍາຫານ 7 ຊະນິດ. ກໍານົດລູກງົວຄໍາທີ່ປະດັບໜ້າ, ຜ້າຄຸມ, ດອກໄມ້ ແລະກິ່ນຫອມ. ທານນີ້ຄວນມອບໃຫ້ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ສົມຄວນ ຜູ້ມີຊາດຕະກູນ ຄວາມປະພຶດດີ ແລະຄຸນທໍາເຊັ່ນຄວາມອົດທົນ; ພ້ອມທານປະກອບເຊັ່ນຮອງເທົ້າ ແລະຮົ່ມ ກັບການສວດມັນຕຣາ. ຫຼັງນັ້ນມີການສໍາລວມອາຫານ ແລະປະຕິບັດ 3 ຄືນ, ປິດທ້າຍດ້ວຍຜົນສະຫຼຸບ (phalaśruti) ວ່າຜູ້ໃຫ້, ພະຍານ, ແລະຜູ້ສວດ/ຜູ້ຟັງ ຈະໄດ້ໄປສູ່ພົບພູມອັນສູງສົ່ງຫຼັງຄວາມຕາຍ.
Speakers
Key Concepts
Shlokas in Adhyaya 106
Verse 1
अथ दधिधेनुदान माहात्म्यम् ॥ होतोवाच ॥ दधिधेनोर्महाराज विधानं शृणु सांप्रतम् ॥ अनुलिप्ते महीभागे गोमयेन नराधिप
ບັດນີ້ແມ່ນມະຫາຕະມະຂອງທານ ‘ດະທິເທນຸ’ (ງົວແຫ່ງນົມສົ້ມ). ໂຫຕຣຶກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ມະຫາຣາຊາ ຈົ່ງຟັງບັດນີ້ວິທີການຂອງດະທິເທນຸ. ໂອ ນະຣາທິບ ໃນພື້ນດິນສ່ວນໜຶ່ງທີ່ທາດ້ວຍຂີ້ງົວ…”
Verse 2
गोचर्ममात्रं तु पुनः पुष्पप्रकरशोभिते ॥ कुशैरास्तीर्य वसुधां कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरीम्
ຕໍ່ມາ ຈັດພື້ນທີ່ໃຫ້ເທົ່າກັບໜັງງົວ ແລະປະດັບດ້ວຍຊໍ່ດອກໄມ້; ປູຫຍ້າກຸສະໃນພື້ນດິນ ແລ້ວວາງໜັງກວາງດຳ (kṛṣṇājina) ແລະວາງຫຍ້າກຸສະທັບຂ້າງເທິງ।
Verse 3
दधिकुम्भं तु संस्थाप्य सप्तधान्यचयोपरि ॥ चतुर्थांशेन वत्सं तु सौवर्णं मुखमण्डितम्
ເມື່ອວາງໝໍ້ດະທິ (ນົມສົ້ມ) ໄວ້ເທິງກອງທັນຍາຫານ 7 ຊະນິດແລ້ວ ພຶງສ້າງລູກງົວໜຶ່ງຕົວ—ເປັນຄຳ ແລະປະດັບໃບໜ້າ—ຕາມສ່ວນ 1/4 (ຂອງຂະໜາດ/ປະລິມານ).
Verse 4
आच्छाद्य वस्त्रयुग्मेन पुष्पगन्धैस्तु पूजिताम् ॥ ब्राह्मणाय कुलीनाय साधुवृत्ताय धीमते
ເມື່ອຫຸ້ມທານນັ້ນດ້ວຍເຄື່ອງນຸ່ງຫົ່ມເປັນຄູ່ ແລະບູຊາດ້ວຍດອກໄມ້ກັບເຄື່ອງຫອມແລ້ວ ພຶງຖວາຍແກ່ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ມີຕະກູນດີ ປະພຶດດີ ແລະມີປັນຍາ.
Verse 5
क्षमादिगुणयुक्ताय दद्यत्तां दधिधेनुकाम् ॥ पुच्छदेशोपविष्टस्तु मुद्रिकाकर्णभूषणैः
ພຶງມອບ ‘ໂຄດະຫິ (ດະຫິ-ເທນຸ)’ ໃຫ້ແກ່ຜູ້ມີຄວາມອົດທົນ ແລະຄຸນທຳອື່ນໆ; ແລະ (ໃນການຈັດເຮັດ) ພຶງປະດັບບ່ອນຫາງ ດ້ວຍແຫວນ ແລະເຄື່ອງປະດັບຫູ.
Verse 6
पादुकोपानहौ छत्रं दत्त्वा मन्त्रिममं पठेत् ॥ दधिक्राव्णेति मन्त्रेण दद्याद्धेनुं सुपूजिताम्
ເມື່ອມອບເກີບແຕະ (ປາດຸກາ) ແລະເກີບ, ພ້ອມທັງຮົ່ມແລ້ວ ພຶງສວດມົນຕຣານີ້; ດ້ວຍມົນຕຣາ ‘dadhikrāvṇa…’ ພຶງຖວາຍໂຄທີ່ບູຊາຢ່າງດີແລ້ວ.
Verse 7
एवं दधिमयीं धेनुं दत्त्वा राजर्षिसत्तम ॥ एकाहारी दिनं तिष्ठेद्दध्ना च नृपनन्दन
ດັ່ງນີ້ແລ້ວ ໂອ້ຜູ້ປະເສີດໃນຫມູ່ຣາຊະຣິສີ ເມື່ອມອບໂຄທີ່ເຮັດເປັນທານດ້ວຍດະຫິແລ້ວ ໂອ້ບຸດແຫ່ງກະສັດ ພຶງຢູ່ໜຶ່ງວັນໂດຍກິນອາຫານພຽງຄັ້ງດຽວ—ແລະອາຫານນັ້ນກໍໃຫ້ມີດະຫິດ້ວຍ.
Verse 8
यजमानो वसेद्राजंस्त्रिरात्रं च द्विजोत्तमः ॥ दीयमानां प्रपश्यन्ति ते यान्ति परमं पदम्
ຜູ້ເປັນຍະຊະມານະ ໂອ້ກະສັດ ພຶງພັກຢູ່ທີ່ນັ້ນສາມຄືນ ແລະພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ປະເສີດກໍເຊັ່ນດຽວກັນ; ຜູ້ໃດເຫັນການຖວາຍທານນັ້ນ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຍ່ອມໄປຮອດປະຖົມສະຖານອັນສູງສຸດ.
Verse 9
य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या श्रावयेद्वापि मानवः ॥ सोऽश्वमेधफलं प्राप्य विष्णुलोकं च गच्छति
ຜູ້ໃດຟັງຂໍ້ຄຳນີ້ດ້ວຍພັກຕິ ຫຼືໃຫ້ຜູ້ອື່ນສວດອ່ານ ຜູ້ນັ້ນຈະໄດ້ຜົນແຫ່ງອັດສະວະເມທະ ແລະໄປສູ່ໂລກຂອງພຣະວິດສະນຸ
Inside Adhyaya 106
How it unfolds
- Where it opens
Within the Varāha–Pṛthivī instructional frame, the chapter turns from general dharma to a focused dāna-vidhi: how a ruler/householder should perform dadhidhenudāna (the ‘curd-cow’ gift) with śauca, correct layout, and a worthy brāhmaṇa recipient.
- Central event
A stepwise ritual manual is delivered: purify and prepare the ground with gomaya, arrange kuśa and kṛṣṇājina, establish a measured/decorated ritual space, install a curd-pot upon a heap of seven grains, fashion/represent the ‘cow’ with specified adornments (golden calf, cloth, flowers, fragrance), recite the appropriate mantra (notably the dadhikrāvṇ formula), and formally transfer the gift with ancillary dakṣiṇā (e.g., footwear, umbrella) to a kulīna, virtuous brāhmaṇa.
- Climax resolution
The rite culminates in the sanctioned handover (saṅkalpa + mantra + dakṣiṇā) to a qualified recipient, followed by the donor’s restraint (niyama)—regulated intake (ekāhāra) and curd-based dietary discipline—and a three-night observance associated with the officiant/leading brāhmaṇa, sealing the act as both material support and self-governed piety.
- Closing phalashruti
A phalaśruti asserts extraordinary merit: the donor attains exalted post-mortem destinations (explicitly Viṣṇuloka in the chapter’s claims), with merit extending also to witnesses and reciters/hearers; the act is rhetorically equated with great-sacrifice-level fruit (aśvamedha-phala) when performed correctly and given to a worthy brāhmaṇa.
Geographical context
No explicit toponyms or regional ecologies are named in these verses. The setting is a generalized ritual ground (bhūmi/vasudhā) prepared with gomaya and kuśa, implying a domestic or sacrificial space rather than a specific pilgrimage landscape.
Ritual instructions
- Primary RitualDadhidhenudāna (donation of the ‘curd-cow’ representation with curd-pot, grains, and dakṣiṇā)
- BenefitMerit comparable to major Vedic sacrifices (aśvamedha-phala rhetoric), attainment of Viṣṇuloka/exalted heavenly states for the donor, and derivative merit for witnesses and reciters/hearers—conditioned on śauca, correct procedure, and worthy recipient-selection.
The narrative frame
- Hotṛ (as the instructing ritual voice within the Varāha–Pṛthivī pedagogical setting)A generalized royal addressee (mahārāja/narādhipa/rājarṣi-sattama type) within the broader Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue horizon · Prescriptive, procedural, and merit-oriented (vidhi + phalaśruti), with emphasis on social-ritual accountability via recipient-qualification
The emotional journey
- Dominant RasaŚānta (ritual serenity with dhārmic gravity)
- Emotional ProgressionFrom disciplined preparation (śauca and ordered layout) → focused reverence during mantra-guided transfer → quiet austerity/niyama after giving → assurance and uplift through phalaśruti (Viṣṇuloka, great-merit equivalence).
Planning a pilgrimage
- Visit FeasibilityNot tirtha-specific; best approached as a home/temple-based dāna rite performed with guidance from a qualified priest and an appropriate brāhmaṇa recipient rather than as a location-bound pilgrimage.
Frequently Asked Questions
The text emphasizes regulated generosity (dāna) performed with ritual cleanliness, correct procedure, and careful selection of a worthy recipient. Ethical value is located in disciplined giving—material support directed to a learned and virtuous brāhmaṇa—combined with self-restraint (niyama) after the donation. The chapter frames merit as arising from both the act and its orderly, socially accountable execution.
No lunar tithi, nakṣatra, month, or seasonal timing is specified. The only temporal markers are observance-lengths: the donor maintains a one-day regulated intake (ekāhāra) and remains with curd-based restraint for that day, while the officiant/leading brāhmaṇa is described as observing a three-night period (trirātra).
Environmental balance is implied through the ritual’s Earth-facing materials and purification logic: gomaya (cow-dung plaster) and kuśa (sacred grass) prepare the ground (vasudhā), highlighting a model where the terrestrial surface is treated as a managed, purified substrate for human action. The ‘cow’ symbolism (dhenū) and the use of grains (saptadhānya) also link prosperity and moral order to agrarian/ecological cycles, aligning with the Varāha Purāṇa’s broader Pṛthivī-centered worldview even when Pṛthivī is not explicitly named in the verses.
No specific dynasties or named sages are cited. The chapter addresses a generalized royal figure (e.g., mahārāja, narādhipa, nṛpa-nandana, rājarṣi-sattama) and prescribes gifting to a ‘kulīna’ brāhmaṇa of good conduct and virtues. The only explicit role-title is Hotṛ, indicating a Vedic ritual function rather than an individualized historical person.
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