Vamana Purana — Prahlada's Instructions to Bali, Shloka 29

Prahlada’s Instructions to Bali on Vishnu Worship, Monthly Gifts, and Building Hari’s Temple

Devanagari script

घृतं च क्षीरकुम्भाश्च घृतधेनुफलानि च श्रावणे श्रीधरप्रीत्यै दातव्यानि विपश्चिता

Transliteration

ghṛtaṃ ca kṣīrakumbhāśca ghṛtadhenuphalāni ca śrāvaṇe śrīdharaprītyai dātavyāni vipaścitā

Translation

In the month of Śrāvaṇa, ghee, pots filled with milk, and fruits—together with a ‘ghee-cow’ (a gift representing abundant ghee)—should be given by the wise, for the satisfaction of Śrīdhara.

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (chapter’s instructional voice).

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Śrīdhara)
• Lakshmi (Śrī) (implied by the epithet)

Key Themes

• Dana (charity) and ritual purity (milk, ghee)
• Śrāvaṇa observances and devotional giving
• Prosperity symbolism (Śrīdhara/Lakṣmī association)
• Merit through nourishing gifts

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why are milk and ghee emphasized for Śrīdhara in Śrāvaṇa?

Milk and ghee are paradigmatic ‘sāttvika’ gifts—pure, nourishing, and central to ritual (homa, lamps, offerings). Śrāvaṇa is a major devotional month; giving such substances aligns household prosperity with religious merit, fitting Śrīdhara (‘bearer of Śrī/fortune’).

What is a ghṛtadhenu in dāna practice?

It is a conventional charity item representing a cow that yields ghee—either an actual cow given with provisions, or a symbolic/ritualized ‘cow-gift’ arrangement emphasizing abundance of ghṛta. The term signals prosperity and the capacity to sustain sacrificial and domestic rites.

Is Lakṣmī explicitly present here?

Not by name in the verse, but Śrīdhara is an epithet that inherently invokes Śrī (Lakṣmī). The dāna of rich, auspicious foods (milk, ghee, fruits) coheres with that prosperity-theology.