Varaha Purana 112.37 — Adhyaya 112, Shloka 37
Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot
Hema-kumbha
तद्दिनं पायसाहारं पयसा वापि वा भवेत् ॥ सुवर्णस्य सहस्रेण तदर्धेनापि भामिनि
taddinaṃ pāyasāhāraṃ payasā vāpi vā bhavet || suvarṇasya sahasreṇa tadardhenāpi bhāmini
Pada hari itu, makanan boleh berupa pāyasa (bubur nasi bersusu), atau sebagai pilihan lain hanya susu sahaja. Wahai wanita mulia, dengan seribu (ukuran) emas—bahkan dengan separuhnya pun—tatacara ini dikatakan berkesan.
Varāha (default; vocative suggests addressing Pṛthivī as interlocutor)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Addressed to Pṛthivī as ‘bhāminī’ (O radiant lady), within the dialogue frame, while instructing observance details."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"None"}
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":"On the observance day, maintain a restricted diet (pāyasa or milk); the efficacy holds with a thousand of gold, or even half that amount, as dakṣiṇā/associated gift.","karmic_consequence":"Proper niyama (dietary restraint) and proportionate dakṣiṇā secure the promised merit/purification; laxity in niyama diminishes fruit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":true,"vrata_name":"Go-dāna/prāyaścitta-associated observance (as continued from 112.38)","tithi_month":"Not specified in this verse (contextual ‘that day’).","promised_fruit":"Effectiveness of the rite/dāna even with reduced gold; supports purification/merit as stated in the surrounding passage."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"discipline supporting merit (niyama)","core_concept":"Merit is shaped by inner restraint and sincere capacity-based giving; dharma accommodates ‘ardha’ (half) when aligned with correct intent and rule.","practical_application":"On the appointed day, keep a simple sattvic intake (milk/pāyasa) and give dakṣiṇā according to means without abandoning the observance."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Studies","Ethics","Foodways"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vātsalya
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 112.38 (go-dāna and gold accompaniment); Varāha Purāṇa 112.35–112.37 (dāna valuation and inclusion of sinners)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha instructs Bhu-devī about the day’s regimen: a simple milk/pāyasa diet and the measure of gold to accompany the rite, emphasizing accessibility (half suffices).","item_prompts":["Varāha speaking with gentle authority","Bhu-devī seated attentively","bowl of pāyasa and a milk pot","stack of gold coins/ingots labeled ‘1000’ and ‘500’ symbolically","ritual mat and water vessel"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: intimate teaching scene; pāyasa bowl and milk pot prominent; gold as stylized discs; Bhu-devī in green/earth tones; calm domestic-ritual ambience.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf emphasis on coins and ornaments; rich textile patterns; Varāha and Bhu-devī framed by an ornate arch; offerings arranged symmetrically.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined still-life of pāyasa and milk; soft glow on gold; expressive but restrained faces; classical interior setting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: cozy pavilion scene; delicate rendering of food vessels; conversational intimacy between Varāha and Earth-goddess; light pastel palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"gentle, instructional","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"slow-medium","voice_tone":"soft, explanatory"}
FAQs
It indicates how dāna rituals could include temporary dietary observances and explicit material valuations, offering evidence for historical food-ritual norms and gift quantification.
No location is specified; the verse is procedural and domestic-ritual in orientation.
To pair giving with self-restraint and a regulated lifestyle on the day of donation, emphasizing discipline alongside generosity.
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