Varaha Purana 111.19 — Adhyaya 111, Shloka 19
The Eulogy of Donating a Tawny (Kapilā) Cow
गोसहस्रं च यो दद्यादेकां वा कपिलां नरः ॥ सममेतत्पुरा प्राह ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ॥
gosahasraṃ ca yo dadyād ekāṃ vā kapilāṃ naraḥ || samam etat purā prāha brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ ||
ఎవడు వెయ్యి గోవులను దానం చేస్తాడో, లేదా ఒక్క కపిలా (తామ్రవర్ణ) గోవునే దానం చేస్తాడో—ఇవి సమానమేనని పూర్వకాలంలో లోకపితామహుడు బ్రహ్మ ప్రకటించాడు.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
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":"Giving even a single Kapilā-cow is declared (by Brahmā) to be equivalent in merit to giving a thousand cows.","karmic_consequence":"Sincere, properly qualified Kapilā-go-dāna yields immense puṇya comparable to large-scale giving; contempt for ‘small’ but prescribed gifts forfeits great merit."}
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":"ethics of intention and scriptural authority","core_concept":"Merit is not merely quantitative; a prescribed, symbolically potent gift (Kapilā) can outweigh sheer number when aligned with śāstra and right intent.","practical_application":"Do not postpone charity for lack of abundance; perform the śāstric gift you can, with correctness (vidhi) and faith (śraddhā)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Textual Authority"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: None
Related Themes: Kapilā-go-dāna section and its phala-śruti; subsequent ‘Ubhayatomukhī’ framing in the next chapter
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha cites Brahmā’s ancient declaration: a single tawny Kapilā-cow equals a thousand cows—shown as an allegorical balance scale where one Kapilā outweighs a herd.","item_prompts":["balance scale with one Kapilā on one pan and many cows on the other","Brahmā as authority figure in the background (four faces suggested)","Varāha narrating to an audience","inscription-like banner indicating ‘samam’ (equivalent)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: symbolic scale motif; Brahmā seated on lotus; Varāha gesturing; decorative herd silhouettes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf scale and halos; richly ornamented Kapilā; Brahmā with embossed crown and lotus throne.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant allegory with fine detailing on the scale; subdued palette; emphasis on clarity of the teaching.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: playful yet reverent allegory—pastoral herd in rolling hills; central Kapilā highlighted; Brahmā and Varāha in narrative corners."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"authoritative, proclamatory","suggested_raga":"Śaṅkarābharaṇam","pace":"medium-slow","voice_tone":"firm, citing-tradition cadence on ‘Brahmā… prāha’"}
FAQs
Invoking Brahmā functions as an authority strategy common in Purāṇic literature, legitimizing ethical claims through primordial testimony.
No location is identified; the verse is an authority-claim about merit.
It emphasizes the value of intention and the exemplary gift (kapilā), presenting a principle of equivalence in charitable merit.
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