Shloka 23
Procedure for the Guḍa-dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift; Ten Dhenu-dānas; Yearlong Gaṅgā Worship and Darśana
पञ्चमी क्षीरधेनुश्च षष्ठी मधुमयी स्मृता । सप्तमी शर्कराधेनुर्दधिधेनुस्तथाष्टमी ॥ २३ ॥
pañcamī kṣīradhenuśca ṣaṣṭhī madhumayī smṛtā | saptamī śarkarādhenurdadhidhenustathāṣṭamī || 23 ||
Yang kelima disebut ‘kṣīra-dhenu’, lembu susu; yang keenam diingati sebagai ‘madhu-mayī’, lembu yang berupa madu. Yang ketujuh ialah ‘śarkarā-dhenu’, lembu gula, dan yang kelapan ialah ‘dadhi-dhenu’, lembu dadih/yogurt.
Narada (in a teaching/narrative context within Uttara-Bhaga)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It assigns sacred, merit-bestowing identities to specific tithis (5th–8th), portraying them as ‘dhenus’ (wish-fulfilling cows) that symbolically yield auspicious offerings—milk, honey, sugar, and curd—thereby encouraging vrata and dana aligned with each day.
By sacralizing time itself (tithi) and linking it to pure, sattvic substances used in worship, the verse supports bhakti through disciplined observance—offering and restraint performed on these days as a devotional rhythm.
It reflects practical calendrical/ritual timing knowledge—tithi-based observance (a core component of traditional Panchanga usage), guiding when specific vrata, puja, or dana may be performed for enhanced religious efficacy.