Varaha Purana 109.2: Adhyaya 109, Shloka 2
The Merit and Procedure of Donating the ‘Cotton Cow’
Kārpāsa-dhenu
विषुवे त्वयने पुण्ये युगादिग्रहणे तथा ॥ ग्रहपीडासु चोग्रासु दुःस्वप्नेऽरिष्टदर्शने
viṣuve tvayane puṇye yugādigrahaṇe tathā || grahapīḍāsu cograsu duḥsvapne 'riṣṭadarśane
В дни равноденствия, в благой день солнцестояния, а также при затмениях, происходящих в начале юги; и при тяжких бедствиях от влияния планет, при дурных снах и при видении зловещих знамений—
Hotā (carried from 109.1 context)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"instruction_summary":"Specifies qualifying times/occasions for the rite/dāna: equinox, solstice, eclipses, severe planetary afflictions, bad dreams, and ominous sightings.","karmic_consequence":"Following: timely performance mitigates inauspiciousness and yields heightened merit (implied by ‘puṇye’ and crisis-timing); Neglect: continued graha/ariṣṭa distress (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"tithi_month":"Viṣuva (equinox), Ayana (solstice), Grahaṇa (eclipse), Yugādi-grahaṇa (epochal eclipse) — calendrical markers rather than a named vrata","promised_fruit":"Auspicious counteraction to graha-pīḍā/ariṣṭa and support for the dāna’s svarga/puṇya outcomes (contextual)."}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"kāla-dharma / nimitta-śānti","core_concept":"Auspicious and inauspicious temporal ‘nodes’ are not fatalistic; they are prompts for dharmic response (dāna, mantra, śānti).","practical_application":"When facing ominous dreams/portents or during eclipses/solstices, undertake sanctioned remedial acts—charity, prayer, purification—rather than fear or superstition alone."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Timekeeping (Calendrical Practice)","Cultural Heritage"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: calendrical/astral context
Related Themes: Continuation into 109.3 on place/purity requirements for the same rite
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A calendrical tableau: sun and moon at equinox/solstice markers, an eclipse scene, and a worried person troubled by nightmares/omens—implying the need for remedial rite.","item_prompts":["sun-moon alignment (equinox)","solstice arc","eclipse disk","astrological chart (graha)","sleeper with disturbed dream","omen symbols (fallen lamp, crow, etc.)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: cosmic panel with bold sun/moon; eclipse rendered as layered circles; human figure in lower register showing duḥsvapna anxiety.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gilded celestial bodies; eclipse with gold halo; small narrative vignettes of bad dream and omen at the bottom.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: elegant astronomical composition; subtle gradients for eclipse; restrained depiction of fear/concern in the human vignette.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: lyrical night-sky eclipse; small domestic scene of a dreamer; minimal omen motifs, pastel palette."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"cautionary, time-marking","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"grave, steady"}
FAQs
It reflects traditional Indian calendrical and omen frameworks used to contextualize rites, indicating how ritual actions were coordinated with time-reckoning and perceived adversity.
No geographic location is identified; the verse focuses on temporal markers and conditions.
To respond to auspicious times or perceived adversity with regulated, socially constructive actions such as charitable giving.
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