Matsya Purana 288: adhyāyaḥ 288

288.p1

ratnadenumahādānavidhivarṇanam.
matsya uvāca.
athātaḥ saṃpravakṣyāmi mahādānamanuttamam.
ratnadhenviti vikhyātaṃ golokaphaladaṃ nṛṇām .. 288.1

Matsya said:—“I shall now tell you about the Ratnadhénu ordinance the giver of high benefits, and which leads to Go-loka—1

288.p2

puṇyaṃ dinamathāsādya tulā puruṣadānavat.
lokeśāvāhanaṃ kṛtvā tato dhenuṃ prakalpayet .. 288.2

On an auspicious day the Lokapâls should be invoked as in Tuladâna and then a cow studded with precious stones should be made—2.

288.p3

bhūmau kṛṣṇājinaṃ kṛtvā lavaṇadroṇasaṃyutam.
dhenuṃ ratnamayīṃ kuryāt saṅkalpya vidhipūrvakam .. 288.3

A skin of black deer should be spread on the floor and then a mound of 32 seers of sesamum should be placed and above it should be put 81 sorts of gems—3-4.

288.p4

sthāpayet padmarāgāṇāmekāśīti mukhe budhaḥ.
puṣparāgaśataṃ tadvaddhoṇāyāṃ parikalpayet .. 288.4

288.p5

lalāṭe hematilakaṃ muktā phalaśataṃ dṛśoḥ.
bhrūyuge vidrumaśataṃ śukrī karṇadvaye smṛtau .. 288.5

On the head a tilaka should be made in gold and 100 pearls should be placed in the eyes, and 100 corals should be placed in the brows. Mother o’pearl should be placed in the ears and the horns should be made of gold On the head should be placed one hundred diamonds and in the neck 100 Gomeda stones should be placed. The eyes are to be lotus like extended—5-6

288.p6

kāñcanānāni ca śraṅgāṇi śiro vajra śatātmakam.
grīvāyāṃ netrapaṭakaṃ gomedakaśatānvitam .. 288.6

288.p7

indranīlaśataṃ pṛṣṭhe vaiḍhūryaśatapārśvake.
sphāṭikairudaraṃ tadvat saugandhikaśataiḥ kaṭim .. 288.7

One hundred sapphires (Indranîla-maṇi) should be placed on the back and Vaidûrya-manis in place of the ribs, and Sphatikamaṇi in place of the stomach Musk and other scented things should be placed in place of the waist The hoofs should be made of gold, the tail of pearls, nose of Sûryakâmta and Chandrakânta stones. The knee is to be studded with camphor—7-8.

288.p8

khurā hemamayāḥ kāryāḥ pucchaṃ muktāvalīmayam.
sūryakāntendukāntau ca ghrāṇo karpūracandane .. 288.8
kuṅkumāni ca romāṇi raupyanābhi ca kārayet.
gārutmataśataṃ tadvadapāne parikalpayet .. 288.9

The hair should be of Kuṅkuma (saffron) and the navel of silver and there should be a 100 rubies in place of the arms—9.

288.28810

tathānyāni ca ratnāni sthāpayet sarvasandhiṣu.
kuryāccharkarayā jihvāṃ gomayañca guḍātmakam .. 28810

Other precious stones should be placed in the other joints. The tongue should be made of sugar and molasses should be substituted for dung, clarified butter in place of urine, curds in place of curds and milk in place of milk Châmara should be placed in front of the tail-end and a copper milking pot should be placed close by the cow—10-11.

288.28810_9

gomūtramājyena tathā dadhidugdhe svarūpataḥ.
pucchāgre cāmaraṃ dadyāt samīpe tāmradohanam .. 288.11

288.28810_10

kuṇḍalāni ca haimāni bhūṣaṇāni ca śaktitaḥ.
kārayedevamevantu caturthāṃśena vatsakam .. 288.12

Earrings should be made of gold and other ornaments should be made according to the means of the devotee In the same way a calf of one fourth of the cow prescribed according to rule should be made—12.

288.28810_11

tathā dhānyāni sarvāṇi pādāścekṣumayāḥ smṛtāḥ.
nānā phalāni sarvāṇi pañcavarṇaṃ vitānakam .. 288.13

All the grains, sugarcane, various kinds of fruits should be provided and an arch of various colours should be made. Afterwards Homa should be performed and gifts should be made to the Ṛitvikas Afterwards the cow should be invoked and the following mantras should be recited.—13-14

288.28810_12

evaṃ viracanaṃ kṛtvā tadvaddhomādhivāsanam.
ṛtvigbhyo dakṣiṇāṃ dadyāddhenumāmantrayettataḥ ..
guḍadhenuvadāvāhya idañcodāharettataḥ .. 288.14

288.28810_13

tvāṃ sarvadevagaṇadhāma yataḥ paṭhanti rudrendrasūryakamalāsana vāsudevāḥ.
tasmāt samasta bhuvanatraya dehayuktā māṃ pāhi devi! bhavasāgarapīḍyamānam .. 288.15

Cow! O Devi! Your body contains the three worlds; you are said to be the resting place of all the Devas; so Rudra, Brahmâ, and Vâsudeva say; pray protect me from the troubles of the world—15 One is to observe fasting, and after invoking the above mantras, should circumambulate and with devotion make the gift, touching the waters. The cow should be given away to the preceptor One who does so goes to the region of Viṣṇu, being freed from sins.—16

288.28810_14

āmantrya cetyamabhitaḥ parivṛtya bhaktyā dadyāddvijāya gurave jalapūrvikāṃ tām.
yaḥ puṇyamāpya dinamatrakṛtopavāsaḥ pāpairvimuktatanureti padaṃ murāreḥ .. 288.16

288.28810_15

iti sakalavidhijño ratnadhenupradānaṃ vitarati sa vimānaṃ prāpya dedīpyamānam.
sakalakaluṣamukto bandhubhiḥ putrapautraiḥ sa hi madanasarūpaḥ sthānamabhyeti śambhoḥ .. 288.17

Seated in a brilliant chariot, with his sons, grandsons, &c., and freed from all sins he goes to Sambhu.—17.