Varaha Purana 105.2 — Adhyaya 105, Shloka 2
Ritual Procedure for the Gift of the Milk-Cow
Kṣīradhenu
तत्र कृत्वा कुण्डलिकां गोमयेन सुविस्तृताम् ॥ क्षीरकुम्भं ततः स्थाप्य चतुर्थांशेन वत्सकम्
tatra kṛtvā kuṇḍalikāṃ gomayena suvistṛtām || kṣīrakumbhaṃ tataḥ sthāpya caturthāṃśena vatsakam
അവിടെ ഗോമയത്തോടെ നന്നായി വ്യാപിച്ച കുണ്ഡലിക ഉണ്ടാക്കി, തുടർന്ന് ക്ഷീരകുംഭം സ്ഥാപിച്ച്, ചതുര്ഥാംശ അനുപാതത്തിൽ ഒരു വത്സത്തെ (വെക്കണം).
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"How should the ritual arrangement proceed—what is placed where (kundalikā, milk-pot, calf proportion) in Kṣīra-dhenū-dāna?"}
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":"Construct a broad circular cow-dung maṇḍala (kuṇḍalikā), place a milk pot (kṣīra-kumbha), and set a calf in the prescribed proportional measure (one-fourth).","karmic_consequence":"Following proportion and placement preserves ritual correctness and the dāna’s promised merit; wrong proportion/placement is implied to weaken efficacy."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘milk-cow’ gift is ritualized as a nourishing cosmos: the circular maṇḍala signifies wholeness/order, milk as sattvic essence, and the calf as continuity of life and lineage—linking dāna to sustenance of dharma.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Kuṇḍalikā maṇḍala = ordered sacrificial field; kṣīra-kumbha = soma-like nourishing oblation; vatsa = yajamāna’s continuity/offspring principle within the offering.","vedantic_connection":"Milk as ‘essence’ (sāra) gestures to offering the best of one’s resources; the circle suggests pūrṇatā—acts dedicated to Viṣṇu return the doer toward completeness."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"symbolic-ethics-of-nourishment","core_concept":"Charity is not mere transfer but consecrated nourishment: giving that sustains others (milk/cow symbolism) sustains cosmic and social order.","practical_application":"Let giving prioritize life-supporting essentials; perform offerings with mindfulness of proportion, appropriateness, and the recipient’s sustenance."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Procedure","Ethics of Giving","Material Culture"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual maṇḍala/altar-space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa Kṣīra-dhenū-dāna-vidhi sequence (placement steps before/after this verse)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual ground shows a broad circular cow-dung design; at its center sits a pot brimming with milk; nearby stands a calf positioned as a measured ‘quarter’ element, indicating proportional arrangement.","item_prompts":["circular cow-dung maṇḍala (kuṇḍalikā)","milk pot (kṣīra-kumbha)","calf (vatsa)","measuring cord/marker for proportion","ritual attendants arranging items"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: bold circular maṇḍala pattern, central white milk pot, small calf to the side; stylized attendants; warm earth tones with white highlights.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central milk pot with gold-leaf aura; embossed circular maṇḍala; calf rendered richly; ornamental borders emphasizing sacred geometry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined geometry of the kuṇḍalikā; realistic pot sheen; gentle calf; calm ritual mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: delicate circular design on ground; bright white pot; playful calf; airy outdoor setting with narrative clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"calmly technical with a hint of wonder (sacred procedure)","suggested_raga":"Saurāṣṭram","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"steady, precise, lightly reverential"}
FAQs
It documents a codified gifting-ritual (dāna-vidhi) that reflects domestic agrarian resources (milk, calves, cow-dung) being formalized into a ceremonial economy in Purāṇic culture.
No specific place-name appears in this verse; it is a procedural instruction applicable across ritual settings.
The verse frames giving as an ordered, careful practice—emphasizing preparation and proportional arrangement rather than impulsive donation.
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