Varaha Purana 110.5 — Adhyaya 110, Shloka 5
The Glory and Procedure of the Grain-Cow (Dhānyadhenu) Donation
उत्तमा तु भवेद्धेनुर्द्रोणैश्चापि चतुष्टयैः । मध्यमा च तदर्धेन वित्तशाठ्यं न कारयेत् ॥
uttamā tu bhaved dhenur droṇaiś cāpi catuṣṭayaiḥ | madhyamā ca tad-ardhena vitta-śāṭhyaṃ na kārayet ||
یہ دھینو (نذر) اُس وقت اعلیٰ مانی جاتی ہے جب وہ چار درون اناج سے بنائی جائے؛ اور درمیانی درجے کی اس کی نصف مقدار سے۔ مال کے معاملے میں بخل نہ کیا جائے۔
Varāha (default 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":"Grade the ritual ‘cow’ offering by quantity (excellent at four droṇas; middling at half) and avoid stinginess in wealth when giving.","karmic_consequence":"Generous, properly measured dāna yields higher merit and social-sacral esteem; miserliness (vitta-śāṭhya) reduces puṇya and undermines the spirit of dāna."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ethics of giving","core_concept":"Dāna is purified by proportionate sacrifice; the inner vice is not poverty but intentional stinginess.","practical_application":"Give within capacity but without deceitful under-measuring; set a clear standard (measure/budget) and honor it."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Economic History"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: dharmavīra
Type: social-ritual practice sphere
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 110.6 (proportions for calf); Varāha Purāṇa 110.7-110.8 (ornamentation/materials)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A donor measures grain into a vessel marked in droṇas, with two exemplar piles/containers indicating ‘excellent’ and ‘middling’ offerings, while a teacher-figure gestures against stinginess.","item_prompts":["measuring vessel labeled droṇa","grain heaps: four-droṇa and two-droṇa","teacher/instructor hand gesture (upadeśa)","ledger/cloth bundle of wealth symbolizing ‘vitta’","simple altar in background"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, bold outlines, ritual teacher instructing on measured generosity, prominent grain vessels and clear numeric symbolism.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, gold accents on measuring vessels and offering tray, central figure emphasizing dāna, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, refined domestic scene with careful depiction of grain texture and vessels, calm didactic mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature, narrative split: left shows four-droṇa excellence, right shows half measure, with a caption-like visual cue against miserliness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic, firm, ethically charged","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"authoritative, admonitory but composed"}
FAQs
It provides metrological data (droṇa) and graded standards for donations, offering evidence for how ritual prescriptions intersected with household economy and commodity measures.
No geographic reference is present; the verse is economic-ritual in focus.
Avoid miserliness in charitable giving; generosity is framed as integral to the rite’s integrity.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.