Varaha Purana — Chapter 108

VrP 108.1

अथ लवणधेनुदानमाहात्म्यम् ।। होतोवाच ।। लवणधेनुं प्रवक्ष्यामि तां निबोध नृपोत्तम ।। षोडशप्रस्थसंयुक्तां धेनुं कृत्वा तु मानवः

atha lavaṇadhenudānamāhātmyam || hotovāca || lavaṇadhenuṃ pravakṣyāmi tāṃ nibodha nṛpottama || ṣoḍaśaprasthasaṃyuktāṃ dhenuṃ kṛtvā tu mānavaḥ

Now the greatness of the gift of the salt-cow. The Hotṛ said: I shall declare the salt-cow; learn of her, O best of kings. A man, having made a cow composed of sixteen prasthas —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.2

अनुलिप्ते महीपृष्ठे कृष्णाजिनकुशोत्तरे ।। धेनुं लवणमयीं कृत्वा षोडशप्रस्थसंयुताम्

anulipte mahīpṛṣṭhe kṛṣṇājinakuśottare || dhenuṃ lavaṇamayīṃ kṛtvā ṣoḍaśaprasthasaṃyutām

— on a smeared patch of ground, with a black antelope skin and kuśa grass spread over it, having made a cow of salt consisting of sixteen prasthas,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.3

वत्सं चतुर्भी राजेन्द्र इक्षुपादांश्च कारयेत् ।। सुवर्णमुखशृङ्गाणि खुरा रौप्यमयास्तथा

vatsaṃ caturbhī rājendra ikṣupādāṃśca kārayet || suvarṇamukhaśṛṅgāṇi khurā raupyamayāstathā

he should have a calf made with four (prasthas), O best of kings, and legs of sugarcane; the face and horns of gold, and the hooves likewise made of silver.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.4

मुखं गुडमयं तस्या दन्ताः फलमया नृप ।। जिह्वां शर्करया राजन्घ्राणं गन्धमयं तथा ।। नेत्रे रत्नमये कुर्यात्कर्णौ पत्रमयौ तथा ।। श्रीखण्डमयकोष्ठौ च नवनीतमयाः स्तनाः

mukhaṃ guḍamayaṃ tasyā dantāḥ phalamayā nṛpa || jihvāṃ śarkarayā rājanghrāṇaṃ gandhamayaṃ tathā || netre ratnamaye kuryātkarṇau patramayau tathā || śrīkhaṇḍamayakoṣṭhau ca navanītamayāḥ stanāḥ

Her mouth is of raw sugar, her teeth of fruits, O king; the tongue with sugar, O king, and the nose made of fragrant substance; he should make the eyes of jewels and the ears of leaves; the belly-parts of sandalwood and the teats of fresh butter.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.5

सूत्रपुच्छां ताम्रपृष्ठां दर्भरोमां पयस्विनीम् ।। कांस्योपदोहां राजेन्द्र घंटाभरणभूषिताम्

sūtrapucchāṃ tāmrapṛṣṭhāṃ darbharomāṃ payasvinīm || kāṃsyopadohāṃ rājendra ghaṃṭābharaṇabhūṣitām

(Her) tail of thread, back of copper, hair of darbha grass, rich in milk, with a bronze milking-vessel, O lord of kings, decked with bells and ornaments —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.6

सुगन्धपुष्पधूपैश्च पूजयित्वा विधानतः ।। आच्छाद्य वस्त्रयुग्मेन ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत्

sugandhapuṣpadhūpaiśca pūjayitvā vidhānataḥ || ācchādya vastrayugmena brāhmaṇāya nivedayet

having worshipped (her) according to the rule with fragrant flowers and incense, and having covered (her) with a pair of garments, he should present (her) to a brahmin.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.7

नक्षत्रग्रहपीडां च सर्वकालं प्रदापयेत् ।। ग्रहणे वाथ संक्रान्तौ व्यतीपाते तथायने

nakṣatragrahapīḍāṃ ca sarvakālaṃ pradāpayet || grahaṇe vātha saṃkrāntau vyatīpāte tathāyane

And (to ward off) affliction from the lunar mansions and planets he should have (her) given at any time — at an eclipse, or at a solstitial/zodiacal transit, at a vyatīpāta, and at a solstice —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.8

द्विजाय साधुवृत्ताय वेदवेदाङ्गवेदिने ।। द्विजाय साधुवृत्ताय कुलीनाय च धीमते

dvijāya sādhuvṛttāya vedavedāṅgavedine || dvijāya sādhuvṛttāya kulīnāya ca dhīmate

to a twice-born of good conduct who knows the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, to a twice-born of good conduct, of good family and wise,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.9

वेदवेदाङ्गविदुषे श्रोत्रियायाहिताग्नये ।। ईदृशाय प्रदातव्या तथाऽमत्सरिणे नृप

vedavedāṅgaviduṣe śrotriyāyāhitāgnaye || īdṛśāya pradātavyā tathā'matsariṇe nṛpa

to one learned in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, a śrotriya who has established the sacred fires — to such a one, and to one free from envy, she is to be given, O king.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.11

आच्छाद्य वस्त्रयुग्मेन दक्षिणां कम्बलं ददेत् ।। पूर्वोक्तेन विधानेन स्वशक्त्या कनकेन तु

ācchādya vastrayugmena dakṣiṇāṃ kambalaṃ dadet || pūrvoktena vidhānena svaśaktyā kanakena tu

Having covered (her) with a pair of garments, he should give a blanket as the sacrificial fee, according to the rule stated before, and gold according to his ability.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.12

ब्राह्मणं पूज्य विधिवत्पूर्वोक्तविधिना नृप ।। सदक्षिणं च गोपुच्छं दत्त्वा ब्राह्मणहस्तके

brāhmaṇaṃ pūjya vidhivatpūrvoktavidhinā nṛpa || sadakṣiṇaṃ ca gopucchaṃ dattvā brāhmaṇahastake

Having duly honoured the brahmin by the aforesaid rule, O king, and having placed the cow's tail, together with the fee, in the brahmin's hand,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.13

इमं मन्त्रं समुच्चार्य ततस्तां प्रतिपादयेत् ।। इमां गृहाण भो विप्र रुद्ररूपां नमोऽस्तु ते

imaṃ mantraṃ samuccārya tatastāṃ pratipādayet || imāṃ gṛhāṇa bho vipra rudrarūpāṃ namo'stu te

Having uttered this mantra, he should then hand her over: "Receive her, O brahmin, her whose form is Rudra — homage be to you!"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.14

रसज्ञा सर्वभूतानां सर्वदेवनमस्कृता ।। कामं पूरय मे देवि रुद्ररूपे नमोऽस्तु ते

rasajñā sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvadevanamaskṛtā || kāmaṃ pūraya me devi rudrarūpe namo'stu te

"(You are) the taste known to all beings, saluted by all the gods; fulfil my desire, O goddess, O you whose form is Rudra — homage be to you!"

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.15

दत्त्वा धेनुं तु लवणेनैकाहं चैव तिष्ठति ।। स्वयं त्रिरात्रं विप्रेण तथैव लवणाशिना

dattvā dhenuṃ tu lavaṇenaikāhaṃ caiva tiṣṭhati || svayaṃ trirātraṃ vipreṇa tathaiva lavaṇāśinā

Having given the cow (made) of salt, he himself remains one day (fasting), or for three nights, together with the brahmin who likewise eats (only) salt.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

VrP 108.16

सहस्रेण शतेनाथ स्वशक्त्या कनकेन तु ।। दत्त्वेमां स्वर्गमाप्नोति यत्र देवो वृषध्वजः

sahasreṇa śatenātha svaśaktyā kanakena tu || dattvemāṃ svargamāpnoti yatra devo vṛṣadhvajaḥ

Having given her with a thousand, or a hundred, or according to his own means, in gold, one attains that heaven where the god whose banner is the bull (dwells).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.17

य इदं शृणुयाद्भक्त्या श्रावयेद्वापि मानवः ।। मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो रुद्रलोकं च गच्छति

ya idaṃ śṛṇuyādbhaktyā śrāvayedvāpi mānavaḥ || mucyate sarvapāpebhyo rudralokaṃ ca gacchati

Whatever man should hear this with devotion, or should cause it to be heard, is freed from all sins and goes to the world of Rudra.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 108.108

इष्ट्वा चैवं च मन्त्रं तु पुच्छदेशोपविश्य च ।। छत्रकोपानहौ देये मुद्रिकाकर्णमात्रकैः

iṣṭvā caivaṃ ca mantraṃ tu pucchadeśopaviśya ca || chatrakopānahau deye mudrikākarṇamātrakaiḥ

And having worshipped thus with the mantra, and having sat down at the tail-end, an umbrella and sandals are to be given, together with a ring and mere ear-ornaments.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain