Varaha Purana 112.36 — Adhyaya 112, Shloka 36
Praise and Procedure of Donating the Two-Faced Kapilā Cow and the Golden Pot
Hema-kumbha
महापातकयुक्तोऽपि गवां दानेन शुध्यति ॥ यश्चोभयमुखीं दद्यात्रभूतकनकान्विताम्
mahāpātakayukto 'pi gavāṃ dānena śudhyati || yaś cobhayamukhīṃ dadyāt prabhūtakanakānvitām
แม้ผู้ข้องเกี่ยวกับมหาบาป ก็ย่อมบริสุทธิ์ได้ด้วยการถวายโคทาน. และผู้ใดถวายโคที่เรียกว่า ‘โภยัมุขี’—โคมีลักษณะเครื่องหมายคู่—พร้อมทองคำอันมากมาย (ย่อมได้ผลดังกล่าว)
Varāha (default, instructional voice in dialogue framework)
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,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Go-dāna purifies even a mahāpātakin; especially efficacious is gifting an ‘obhayamukhī’ cow along with abundant gold as prescribed.","karmic_consequence":"Purification (śuddhi) and high puṇya accrue to the donor; withholding/violating the sanctity of cows sustains grave demerit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual ethics (means of purification)","core_concept":"Certain gifts function as concentrated carriers of dharmic value; go-dāna is treated as a potent purifier due to the cow’s sacral status and sustenance symbolism.","practical_application":"If undertaking expiation, perform go-dāna according to prescription (proper recipient, accompanying dakṣiṇā like gold, and correct ritual framing)."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Material Culture"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 112.39 (diet and gold measures connected to the same observance)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual donation scene: a donor presents a specially marked ‘obhayamukhī’ cow adorned with ornaments, alongside heaps of gold, under Varāha’s instruction.","item_prompts":["decorated cow with distinctive markings (two-faced/dual-marked symbolism)","gold coins/ingots","donor with offering gesture","brāhmaṇa recipient","ritual water-pot (kalaśa) and kusa grass"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: richly caparisoned cow with floral garlands; gold rendered as flat luminous yellow; Varāha presiding; temple courtyard setting.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: heavy gold-leaf for ornaments and coins; cow with jeweled harness; symmetrical composition with Varāha blessing gesture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: detailed textiles and jewelry on cow and donor; soft shading; emphasis on auspiciousness and purity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: pastoral setting; cow central with delicate ornament; small figures of donor and priest; narrative charm and clarity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ritual-instructional, auspicious","suggested_raga":"Shree","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"measured, reassuring"}
FAQs
It documents a ritualized gifting economy where specific descriptive qualifiers (e.g., obhayamukhī, gold-adorned) function as technical markers of an ideal donation in Purāṇic manuals.
None in this verse; the emphasis is on ritual specification rather than place.
To present charity—especially go-dāna—as a structured ethical practice believed to support moral rehabilitation.
Ask anything about this verse
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