Varaha Purana 112.28 — Adhyaya 112, Shloka 28
Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot
Hema-kumbha
आसन्नप्रसवां धेनुं दानार्थं प्रतिपालयेत ॥ कपिलार्द्धप्रसूता वै दातव्या च द्विजन्मने ॥
āsanna-prasavāṃ dhenuṃ dānārthaṃ pratipālayet || kapilārddha-prasūtā vai dātavyā ca dvijan-mane ||
தானத்திற்காகப் பிரசவத்திற்கு அண்மையான பசுவை முறையாகப் பராமரித்து காக்க வேண்டும். மேலும் சமீபத்தில் கன்றுபெற்ற கபிலா (செம்மஞ்சள்) பசுவைத் த்விஜர்க்கு தானமாக அளிக்க வேண்டும்.
Varāha (default speaker within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Instructional address within Varāha–Pṛthivī framework; no direct physical interaction described"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","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":"For go-dāna, one should properly maintain a cow near calving, and a recently-calved tawny (kapilā) cow is to be gifted to a qualified twice-born recipient.","karmic_consequence":"Properly performed go-dāna yields great puṇya and auspicious afterlife; neglecting stewardship/fitness of the gift diminishes merit and incurs demerit for cruelty or improper dāna."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma-ethics of dāna","core_concept":"Dāna is not mere transfer of property; it requires ahiṃsā, caretaking, and fitness of the gift to become puṇya-bearing.","practical_application":"Before gifting a cow, ensure humane upkeep, health, and suitability (especially around calving), and choose a qualified dvija recipient."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual practice","Animal stewardship"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: normative ritual space (gṛha/śrauta-smārta setting)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 112.31-34 (phala-śruti and procedure of kapilā-go-dāna)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household pasture scene: a well-cared cow near calving, attendants providing fodder and water, with a brāhmaṇa recipient nearby, indicating the intent of gifting.","item_prompts":["kapilā cow","calf/near-calving signs","fodder bundle","water pot","simple cowshed","brāhmaṇa with staff/kuśa"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural palette; serene pastoral courtyard; kapilā cow highlighted; Varāha as unseen narrator presence suggested by a small emblem or haloed corner figure.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore composition with gold accents on ritual vessels; central kapilā cow; stylized brāhmaṇa recipient; ornate border suggesting dharmic sanctity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore-style soft shading; intimate domestic ritual setting; emphasis on gentle caretaking gestures and calm faces.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature pastoral landscape; rolling greens; small figures; kapilā cow as focal point; narrative clarity with minimal props."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, calm","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, instructional, gently emphatic on key injunctions"}
FAQs
It documents practical norms around go-dāna, indicating that the gift is not merely symbolic but involves care, timing, and suitability.
No geographic location is mentioned.
A gift should be responsibly prepared—through prior care—and offered in a form considered appropriate within the text’s ritual-ethical framework.
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