Varaha Purana 108.3: Adhyaya 108, Shloka 3

The Eulogy and Procedure of Donating the ‘Salt-Cow’

Lavaṇadhenu

Devanagari script

वत्सं चतुर्भी राजेन्द्र इक्षुपादांश्च कारयेत् ॥ सुवर्णमुखशृङ्गाणि खुरा रौप्यमयास्तथा ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 108.3

Transliteration

vatsaṃ caturbhī rājendra ikṣupādāṃś ca kārayet || suvarṇamukhaśṛṅgāṇi khurā raupyamayās tathā ||

Translation

Wahai raja segala raja, hendaklah dibuat juga seekor anak lembu dengan empat bahagian, dan kakinya dibuat daripada tebu. Wajah dan tanduknya hendaklah daripada emas, dan kukunya juga demikian daripada perak.

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Word by Word

• vatsam: a calf
• vatsam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• caturbhīḥ: with four (units)
• caturbhīḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; संख्या-विशेषण — 'with four (things)'

• rājendra: O king of kings
• rājendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; कर्मधारय — 'राज्ञामिन्द्रः'

• ikṣu-pādān: sugarcane legs
• ikṣu-pādān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣu (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'इक्षोः पादाः' (sugarcane legs)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• kārayet: should have (them) made
• kārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) [णिच् causative: कारयति]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग — 'should cause to be made'

• suvarṇa-mukha-śṛṅgāṇi: horns with golden tips/faces
• suvarṇa-mukha-śṛṅgāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + śṛṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष — 'सुवर्णमुखानि शृङ्गाणि'

• khurāḥ: hooves
• khurāḥ: Karta/Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• raupya-mayāḥ: made of silver
• raupya-mayāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raupya (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; तद्धितान्त (मयट्) — 'made of silver'

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण — 'likewise/also'

Speaker

Hotṛ

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Iconography of Dāna
• Ancient Indian Metrology and Craft

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It evidences a ‘constructed gift’ tradition where precious materials and symbolic substances are assembled into a ritual object, reflecting artisanal and economic contexts.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic site is mentioned.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse promotes generosity expressed through carefully crafted offerings, integrating value (gold/silver) with symbolic materials (sugarcane).