Varaha Purana 103.2 — Adhyaya 103, Shloka 2
Ritual Procedure for the Donation of the ‘Sugar-Cow’ (Śarkarā-Dhenu)
तदर्धं मध्यमा प्रोक्ता कनिष्ठा भारकेण तु । तद्वद्वत्सं प्रकुर्वीत चतुर्थांशेन तत्त्वतः ॥
tadardhaṃ madhyamā proktā kaniṣṭhā bhārakeṇa tu | tadvad vatsaṃ prakurvīta caturthāṃśena tattvataḥ ||
اس کا آدھا ‘درمیانہ’ (مَدھیما) کہا گیا ہے، اور ‘کم تر’ (کنِشٹھا) ایک بھار سے (بنائی جاتی) ہے۔ اسی طرح بچھڑے کو بھی اصول کے مطابق چوتھائی نسبت سے بنانا چاہیے۔
Hotṛ (continued instructional discourse; not re-marked, inferred from immediate context)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"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":"Define śarkarā-dhenu grades by weight: madhyamā is half of the uttamā; kanīṣṭhā is one bhāra; the calf should consistently be one-fourth in proportion.","karmic_consequence":"Maintaining prescribed gradations and proportions preserves ritual validity and corresponding merit; deviation risks reduced or nullified puṇya."}
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":"niyama (rule) and yathā-śāstra (according to principle)","core_concept":"Dharma operates through intelligible standards; ‘tattvataḥ’ frames proportion as a principle, not arbitrary preference.","practical_application":"If resources are limited, choose a lower grade honestly while keeping proportions correct; avoid performative excess that breaks śāstric measure."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Material Culture","Ethics"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: None
Type: ritual setting
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa ch.103 continuation of śarkarā-dhenu grading rules
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic-like continuation: the hotṛ indicates three graded models of the sugar cow—large, medium, small—each with a calf at one-fourth size, with weights marked.","item_prompts":["three cow effigies of different sizes","calves at one-fourth scale","weight markers (bhāra)","hotṛ pointing to a proportion diagram","king observing"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized triptych of three dhenu forms with consistent calf ratio; hotṛ’s hand-gesture indicating ‘half’ and ‘one bhāra’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-framed panels for uttamā/madhyamā/kanīṣṭhā; embossed weight inscriptions; luminous sugar texture.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: clean composition with emphasis on measurement tools and proportionality; subdued palette, high clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: miniature-style instructional chart within a narrative scene; delicate labeling of grades and calf ratio."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"technical, clarifying","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"didactic, slightly emphatic on numerical terms"}
FAQs
It shows standardized gradations of ritual gifts by weight and proportion, suggesting a formalized system adaptable to patron capacity.
No geographic location is identified.
It promotes proportional giving and truth-to-rule construction, aligning generosity with careful adherence to shared standards.
Ask anything about this verse
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