Varaha Purana 110.5: Adhyaya 110, Shloka 5

The Glory and Procedure of the Grain-Cow (Dhānyadhenu) Donation

Devanagari script

उत्तमा तु भवेद्धेनुर्द्रोणैश्चापि चतुष्टयैः । मध्यमा च तदर्धेन वित्तशाठ्यं न कारयेत् ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 110.5

Transliteration

uttamā tu bhaved dhenur droṇaiś cāpi catuṣṭayaiḥ | madhyamā ca tad-ardhena vitta-śāṭhyaṃ na kārayet ||

Translation

నాలుగు ద్రోణాల ధాన్యంతో చేసిన ‘ధేను’ ఉత్తమమని చెప్పబడుతుంది; దాని సగంతో మధ్యమ. ఇలాంటి దానంలో ధన విషయంలో కృపణత చేయకూడదు.

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Word by Word

• uttamā: excellent, best
• uttamā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (उत्तम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with dhenuḥ

• tu: indeed, however
• tu: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrast/emphasis

• bhavet: should be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• dhenuḥ: cow
• dhenuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhenu (धेनु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• droṇaiḥ: with droṇa-measures
• droṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: droṇa (द्रोण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), inclusion ‘also’

• catuṣṭayaiḥ: by fours / four (measures)
• catuṣṭayaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catuṣṭaya (चतुष्टय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘in sets of four’/‘fourfold’

• madhyamā: middling, medium
• madhyamā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama (मध्यम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); (elliptic) ‘the middling (cow)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय)

• tad-ardhena: with half of that
• tad-ardhena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ardha (अर्ध प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); compound: tasya ardha (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• vitta-śāṭhyam: deceit regarding wealth
• vitta-śāṭhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitta (वित्त प्रातिपदिक) + śāṭhya (शाठ्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); compound: vitte śāṭhyam / vittasya śāṭhyam (अर्थतः धन-विषये कपटम्)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• kārayet: should do/commit
• kārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ धातु) causative (णिच्)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद); causative ‘should cause to do/should do’

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Purāṇic Literature
• Metrology (Measures)
• Dāna Ethics
• Social Practice

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It provides metrological data (droṇa) and graded standards for donations, offering evidence for how ritual prescriptions intersected with household economy and commodity measures.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic reference is present; the verse is economic-ritual in focus.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Avoid miserliness in charitable giving; generosity is framed as integral to the rite’s integrity.