Varaha Purana 99.70: Adhyaya 99, Shloka 70
The Greatness and Rite of the Sesame-Cow (Tiladhenu) Gift
तन्न दत्तं त्वया राजन् स्तोकं मत्वा नराधिप ॥ श्वेत उवाच ॥ अदत्तस्य च सम्प्राप्तिस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः
tanna dattaṃ tvayā rājan stokaṃ matvā narādhipa || śveta uvāca || adattasya ca samprāptis tanmamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ
ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഹേ നരാധിപനേ! നീ അതിനെ ചെറുതെന്നു കരുതി ദാനം ചെയ്തില്ല. ശ്വേതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ദാനം ചെയ്യാത്തവന് ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഫലം/പരിണാമം എന്തെന്ന് ഞാൻ ചോദിക്കുന്നു; അത് പറഞ്ഞു തരിക।
Śveta (the king)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"What consequence (phala/doṣa) befalls one who fails to give (adatta)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Neglecting dāna, even considering it ‘small’, invites a specific adverse consequence; the king asks for the exact result of non-giving.","karmic_consequence":"Implied demerit (pāpa) and loss of auspicious fruits; the precise consequence is set up to be stated in the following verses."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"moral causality","core_concept":"Karma is precise: omission (akaraṇa) in dharma—here, dāna—also produces results, not only commission.","practical_application":"Do not dismiss small opportunities to give; treat ‘minor’ charity as spiritually significant and ask for/learn the śāstric consequences to guide conduct."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Karmic Consequence"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: royal court/āśrama setting (implied)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 99.79ff (Vasiṣṭha’s causal explanation and narrative continuation)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"King Śveta, troubled, questions the sage about the fate of one who withholds gifts; the sage’s earlier admonition hangs in the air.","item_prompts":["king with folded hands (añjali)","sage seated, attentive gaze","scroll/palm-leaf manuscript","court/āśrama backdrop","a small gift left ungiven as symbolic prop"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Śveta in regal costume, anxious eyes; Vasiṣṭha calm; strong gestures of questioning; warm reds/ochres, stylized architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: king in jeweled crown with gold-leaf highlights; sage with halo; dramatic pointing/asking gesture; embossed ornaments and arch frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined court scene, subtle emotion; detailed jewelry and textiles; sage’s composed expression contrasts king’s concern.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate dialogue under a tree near āśrama; expressive faces; minimal props emphasizing the question."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"inquiring, slightly tense","suggested_raga":"Bhairav (grave inquiry)","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"questioning, earnest"}
FAQs
It formalizes the ethical problem as a question-and-answer unit, a common Purāṇic instructional device.
No geographic location is identified in this verse.
Neglecting small acts of support is treated as morally significant; the king seeks clarification on the outcomes of non-giving.
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