Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 103
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 10316 Shlokas

Adhyaya 103: Ritual Procedure for the Donation of the ‘Sugar-Cow’ (Śarkarā-Dhenu)

Śarkarā-dhenu-dāna-vidhiḥ

Ritual-Manual (Dāna-vidhi) with Ethical-Discourse on Worthy Recipients

在伐罗诃(Varāha)与大地女神(Pṛthivī)的教诲框架中,本章为王者听众开示制作并布施“砂糖母牛”śarkarā-dhenu的仪轨。文中规定先以黑羚羊皮与库沙草(kuśa)净治地坛,并列出母牛与牛犊的三等尺度(uttamā、madhyamā、kaniṣṭhā)。又详述形制与材料:四方安置种子,面与角用黄金,眼以珍珠,身体诸部与饰物则以多种可食之甜品与织物成就。并说明受施者的德行资格:应为持闻经典之śrotriya、贫而有德、博学、守护家火者,排除嫉妒之人。再指示吉时(ayana、viṣuva、vyatīpāta、日暮)与施赠程序(方位、真言、dakṣiṇā供养),最后宣说施主与诵持者所得之业果与解脱利益。

Primary Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivī

Key Concepts

Śarkarā-dhenu (ritual gift-cow made of sugar)Dāna-vidhi (procedural gifting protocol)Pātra-parīkṣā (criteria of worthy recipients)Kāla-niyama (auspicious timing: ayana, viṣuva, vyatīpāta)Dik-sthāpana (placing seeds in four directions)Dakṣiṇā and avoidance of vittā-śāṭhya (non-deceit in charity)Puṇya-phala and pāpa-kṣaya (merit and sin-removal claims)

Shlokas in Adhyaya 103

Verse 1

होतोवाच तद्वच्च शर्कराधेनुं शृणु राजन् यथार्थतः । अनुलिप्ते महीपृष्ठे कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरे ॥ १०३-१ ॥ धेनुं शर्करया राजन् कृत्वा भारचतुष्टयम् । उत्तमा कथ्यते सद्भिश्चतुर्थांशेन वत्सकम् ॥

祭官Hotṛ说道:“同样地,国王啊,请如实聆听‘砂糖牛’(śarkarā-dhenu)之法,即以糖制成的母牛。于涂抹净治之地面,上铺黑羚羊皮,并以库沙草(kuśa)为上层;国王啊,以糖塑成母牛,总重四‘婆罗’(bhāra)。贤者称此为‘上品’,并配一犊,重为四分之一。”

Verse 2

तदर्धं मध्यमा प्रोक्ता कनिष्ठा भारकेण तु । तद्वद्वत्सं प्रकुर्वीत चतुर्थांशेन तत्त्वतः ॥

其半量称为“中品”,而“下品”则以一婆罗(bhāra)制成。同样,犊亦当依正法如实制作,比例为四分之一。

Verse 3

अथ कुर्यादष्टशतैरूर्ध्वं नृपतिसत्तम । स्वशक्त्या कारयेद् धेनुं तथात्मानं पीडयेत् ॥

随后,至善之王啊,可用八百乃至更多来行此事;应依自身能力制作(供献之)母牛,如此便不致自我劳损。

Verse 4

सर्वबीजानि संस्थाप्य चतुर्दिक्षु समन्ततः । सुवर्णस्य मुखं शृङ्गे मौक्तिकैर्नयने तथा ॥

将各种种子在四方周围安置妥当之后,(应塑成)金制之口,并以珍珠同样制成角与眼。

Verse 5

गुडेन तु मुखं काये जिह्वा पिष्टमयी तथा । कम्बलं पट्टसूत्रेण कण्ठाभरणभूषिताम् ॥

并以粗糖在其身上塑成口;舌亦以面粉制成。(再备)以丝线织就之毯,并以颈饰加以庄严。

Verse 6

इक्षुपादां रौप्यखुरां तवनीतस्तनीं तथा । प्रशस्तपत्रश्रवणां सितचामरपभूषिताम् ॥

(应制成)以甘蔗为足,以白银为蹄,并以酥油为乳房;具上妙如叶之耳,并以白色牦牛尾拂尘为饰。

Verse 7

पञ्चरत्नसमायुक्तां वस्त्रेणाच्छादितां तथा । गन्धपुष्पैरलङ्कृत्य ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् ॥

备齐五宝,并以布覆之,再以香与花庄严,然后应奉献给一位婆罗门。

Verse 8

श्रोत्रियाय दरिद्राय साधुवृत्ताय धीमते । वेदवेदाङ्गविदुषे साग्निकाय कुटुम्बिने । अदुष्टाय प्रदातव्या न तु मत्सरिणे द्विजे ॥

应当施与一位śrotriya(通晓吠陀的居家梵行者):虽贫而行止端正、明辨有慧,通达《吠陀》及诸Vedāṅga(吠陀支分),守护圣火,并能养家。应施与无恶意的婆罗门,不应施与嫉妒之二生者。

Verse 9

अयने विषुवे पुण्ये व्यतीपाते दिनक्षये । एषु पुण्येषु कालेषु तथाविभवशक्तितः ॥

在ayana(至日)、在viṣuva(昼夜平分)、在吉祥的vyatīpāta,以及在一日将尽之时——于这些具福德之时,应随自身资财与能力而施。

Verse 10

सत्पात्रञ्च द्विजं दृष्ट्वा आगतं श्रोत्रियं गृहे । तादृशाय प्रदातव्या पुच्छदेशे विमृश्य च ॥

见到一位合格的受施者——二生者、śrotriya——来到家中时,应当施与此人,并依仪轨触及并审察牛尾之处后再行奉献。

Verse 11

पूर्वाभिमुखमास्थाय अथवा स उदङ्मुखः । गां पूर्वाभिमुखीं कृत्वा वत्समुत्तरतो न्यसेत् ॥

面向东方——或面向北方——先令母牛朝东而立,然后将牛犊安置在其北侧。

Verse 12

दानकाले तु ये मन्त्रास्तान्पठित्वा समर्पयेत् । सम्पूज्य विधिवद्विप्रं मुद्रिकाकर्णभूषणैः ॥

在施与之时,应诵读所规定的诸咒(mantra)而后奉献礼物;并依仪轨恭敬供养婆罗门,同时亦可奉上戒指与耳饰。

Verse 13

स्वशक्त्या दक्षिणा देया वित्तशाठ्यविवर्ज्जितः । हस्ते तु दक्षिणां दत्त्वा गन्धपुष्पसचन्दनाम् । धेनुं समर्पयेत्तस्य मुखञ्च च विलोकयेत् ॥

应依自身能力布施达克希那(dakṣiṇā),不以财物吝啬。将达克希那置于其手中,并同献香料、花与檀香后,应奉献母牛,继而瞻视其面容。

Verse 14

एकाहं शर्कराहारो ब्राह्मणस्त्रिदिनं वसेत् । सर्वपापहरा धेनुः सर्वकामप्रदायिनी ॥

婆罗门当以糖为食一日,并守持此戒三日。据说此母牛能除尽诸罪,亦能赐予一切所愿之成就。

Verse 15

सर्वकामसमृद्धस्तु जायते नात्र संशयः । दीयमानं प्रपश्यन्ति ते यान्ति परमां गतिम् ॥

人将具足一切所愿之圆满,此无可疑。凡见其施与者,皆得至于最高归趣。

Verse 16

य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या पठते वापि मानवः । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति ॥

凡以虔敬聆听此文,或诵读之人,皆得解脱一切罪业,往生毗湿奴之界。

Frequently Asked Questions

The text frames charity as both procedural and ethical: the gift must be properly prepared and offered without deceit (vittā-śāṭhya-vivarjita), and it must be directed to a qualified recipient (pātra), defined as learned and disciplined (śrotriya, vedavedāṅga-vid), socially responsible (householder with fires, sagnikāya kuṭumbine), and non-malicious; envy (mātsarya) is explicitly disqualifying.

The passage specifies auspicious temporal markers: ayana (solstitial transition), viṣuva (equinox), vyatīpāta (an astronomically inauspicious/marked yoga treated as ritually significant in many dharma sources), and dina-kṣaya (the day’s end). These are presented as preferred windows for performing the donation according to one’s capacity (yathā-vibhava-śaktitaḥ).

While primarily a ritual manual, the chapter embeds an Earth-oriented material ecology: it requires a prepared ground (mahī-pṛṣṭha), uses plant-based and agrarian substances (bīja, ikṣu, guḍa), and organizes space by the four directions (caturdiś). In an environmental-ethics reading aligned with the Varāha–Pṛthivī frame, the instruction models regulated extraction and redistribution of agricultural surplus through formalized gifting, linking social welfare (supporting the poor and learned) with disciplined stewardship of terrestrial resources.

No dynastic lineages are named in the provided verses. The social categories invoked are cultural-institutional: rājan/nṛpati (royal patron), brāhmaṇa/dvija (recipient class), śrotriya (Vedic-trained specialist), and vedavedāṅga-vid (expert in Veda and auxiliaries), along with the household institution marked by maintaining ritual fires (sagnikāya kuṭumbine).

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