Varaha Purana 112.4: Adhyaya 112, Shloka 4
Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot
Hema-kumbha
प्रसूयमाना दानेन किं पुण्यं स्याच्च माधव ॥ एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं विस्तरेण जगद्गुरो
prasūyamānā dānena kiṃ puṇyaṃ syāc ca mādhava || etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ vistareṇa jagadguro
दाने प्रसूयमानायाः किं पुण्यं स्यात्, हे माधव? एतदहं विस्तरेण श्रोतुमिच्छामि, हे जगद्गुरो।
Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"earth_interaction":"Addressed as Mādhava/jagad-guru; pedagogical relationship implied rather than physical interaction"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","bhu_devi_state":"curious; earnest; seeking detailed puṇya-phala of dāna","key_question":"What specific merit (puṇya) arises when the Kapilā/homadhenu is given as a gift, and how is it to be understood in detail?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"krishna_connection":"Invokes the name Mādhava (a Vaiṣṇava epithet later strongly associated with Kṛṣṇa), but here functions primarily as address to Viṣṇu/Varāha as teacher."}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Requests the dharma-phala calculus of go-dāna (Kapilā/homadhenu) specifically at the moment of gifting (dāna-kāla).","karmic_consequence":"Knowing the correct puṇya-phala guides proper performance and intention (saṅkalpa), increasing efficacy; ignorance may lead to incomplete observance (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-phala reasoning within dharma","core_concept":"Merit is not merely assumed; it is to be understood through revealed instruction, with attention to act, intention, and proper object of gift.","practical_application":"Before performing major dāna, seek detailed guidance on procedure and intended fruit; align motivation with dharma rather than display."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Philosophy of Merit (Puṇya)"]
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā (didactic inquiry)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 112.5 (Varāha’s promise of purifying instruction)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhūdevī addresses Varāha/Viṣṇu as Mādhava and jagad-guru, requesting a detailed exposition on the merit of gifting the Kapilā cow.","item_prompts":["two-figure dialogue composition","Bhūdevī in añjali","Varāha/Viṣṇu as seated teacher with calm gaze","Kapilā cow symbol nearby","gift motif: water-pot for dāna-saṅkalpa, kusa grass"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: Varāha/Viṣṇu as guru-like figure, Bhūdevī in reverent posture, stylized cow and dāna vessels, warm saturated palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central jagad-guru figure with gold halo, Bhūdevī offering gesture, ornate cow motif, rich temple arch framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined courtly setting, subtle expressions, manuscript and dāna-water pot, gentle devotional mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate hillside pavilion discourse, Bhūdevī and Mādhava facing, cow and small ritual items, soft pastel landscape."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional inquiry","suggested_raga":"Kalyāṇi (Yaman)","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"supplicatory, clear, slightly intensified on vocatives ‘Mādhava’ and ‘jagad-guro’"}
FAQs
It exemplifies the Purāṇic method of ethical instruction through inquiry, treating dāna (gift-giving) as a topic requiring precise explanation and contextual nuance.
No geographic location is specified in this verse.
The verse foregrounds responsible learning: ethical acts like dāna should be understood with clarity about their intent and consequences.
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