Varaha Purana 99.100: Adhyaya 99, Shloka 100
The Greatness and Rite of the Sesame-Cow (Tiladhenu) Gift
विनीताश्व उवाच ॥ कथं सा दीयते ब्रह्मंस्तिलधेनुर्जिगीषुभिः ॥ भुङ्क्ते स्वर्गं च विप्रेन्द्र तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः
vinītāśva uvāca || kathaṃ sā dīyate brahmaṃs tiladhenuḥ jigīṣubhiḥ || bhuṅkte svargaṃ ca viprendra tan mamācakṣva pṛcchataḥ
วินีตาศวะกล่าวว่า: “ข้าแต่พราหมณ์ ผู้ปรารถนาชัยชนะพึงถวายทาน ‘ติละเธนุ’ คือโคแห่งงา อย่างไร? และข้าแต่พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ด้วยทานนั้นย่อมเสวยสวรรค์อย่างไร? โปรดบอกข้าพเจ้าผู้กำลังทูลถามเถิด”
Vinītāśva
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"questioner","key_question":"How should the tiladhenu (sesame-cow) be properly given by one seeking victory, and by what mechanism does it yield svarga (heaven)?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"The verse frames a dharma-query: correct method (vidhi) of tiladhenu-dāna and its svarga-phala for the donor, especially for one seeking success/victory.","karmic_consequence":"Properly performed tiladhenu-dāna leads to svarga-enjoyment; improper/omitted performance implies loss of the promised merit (phala-bhraṃśa)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-phala and ritual epistemology","core_concept":"Merit (puṇya) arises not merely from giving, but from giving with correct intention and procedure under guidance; svarga is linked to karmic causality.","practical_application":"Before undertaking merit-making gifts for success, consult śāstra/ṛtvik guidance and perform the rite as prescribed."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Heritage Sites"]
Primary Rasa: jijñāsā (inquisitive/didactic)
Secondary Rasa: śānta (ethical seriousness)
Type: dialogic-ritual setting (court/assembly implied)
Related Themes: Leads into subsequent dāna-vidhi expositions (jaladhenu etc.) as answers to such questions.
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"King Vinītāśva respectfully questioning a learned brāhmaṇa about the sesame-cow gift and its heavenly fruit.","item_prompts":["king in crown seated lower than priest","brāhmaṇa with kamaṇḍalu/daṇḍa","symbolic sesame (tila) heap","a stylized cow effigy made of sesame or black grains"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: courtly dialogue, expressive hand gestures (praśna-mudrā), priest serene, sesame-cow icon shown as ritual emblem.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-ornamented court scene, priest central with halo-like prabhā, small golden cow icon with black sesame texture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate linework, emphasis on respectful distance and etiquette, ritual objects neatly arranged.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate veranda scene, soft colors, king leaning forward in inquiry, priest calm; sesame-cow depicted as a small crafted offering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"interrogative, earnest","suggested_raga":"Kalyani/Yaman (clarity and uplift suited to inquiry)","pace":"medium (slight lift on interrogatives)","voice_tone":"respectful, seeking, precise"}
FAQs
It records a named ritual-gift type (tiladhenu) and frames it through a royal question, illustrating how Purāṇic texts transmit ritual knowledge via courtly dialogue.
No location is specified in this question; the focus is on the procedure and claimed results of a ritual gift.
To seek clarity on correct procedure and intention in charitable rites, emphasizing informed giving rather than unexamined practice.
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