Varaha Purana 14.7 — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 7
Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors
परपूर्वापतिश्चैव मातापित्रोस्तथोज्झकः । वृषलीसूतिपोष्यश्च वृषलीपतिर एव च । तथा देवलकश्चापि श्राद्धे नार्हन्ति केतनम् ॥ १४.७ ॥
parapūrvāpatiś caiva mātāpitros tathojjhakaḥ | vṛṣalīsūtipoṣyaś ca vṛṣalīpatir eva ca | tathā devalakaś cāpi śrāddhe nārhanti ketanam || 14.7 ||
وكذلك: زوجُ المرأة التي كانت متزوّجةً من غيره من قبل، ومن يهجر أو يُهمِل أُمَّه وأباه، ومن يُعاشُ من نسلِ vṛṣalī، وزوجُ vṛṣalī، وكذلك الـdevalaka—فهؤلاء لا يُعَدّون مستحقّين لتلقّي العطاء في شعيرة الـśrāddha.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"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":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Certain socially/ritually disqualified persons (e.g., neglecter of parents, devalaka, vṛṣalī-related categories) are not fit recipients for śrāddha hospitality/offerings.","karmic_consequence":"Proper recipient-selection preserves śrāddha efficacy and ancestral satisfaction; feeding ineligible recipients is treated as a ritual fault that diminishes or nullifies the intended pitṛ-benefit."}
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":"dharma-adhikāra (eligibility)","core_concept":"Ritual fruit depends on adhikāra—fitness of agent and recipient—along with right intention and procedure.","practical_application":"Before śrāddha, verify invitees’ conduct/role; prioritize those aligned with śauca, svadharma, and non-exploitative livelihood."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Historical Dharma-shastra"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Type: domestic-ritual space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 14.14.8-11 (procedural śrāddha/hospitality sequence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder preparing for śrāddha consults dharma guidelines, respectfully declining certain categories from receiving the śrāddha meal while maintaining ritual seriousness.","item_prompts":["gṛhastha with palm-leaf dharma text","śrāddha vessels (pātra), kuśa grass","seating area for invited brāhmaṇas","subtle depiction of refusal/avoidance without hostility"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: interior household śrāddha mandapa, warm earthy palette, stylized vessels and kuśa, Varāha as unseen instructor-presence implied by icon or haloed emblem.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: central gṛhastha with ornate śrāddha tray, gold-leaf highlights on vessels and seats, small framed Varāha emblem above as dharma-authority.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined domestic ritual scene, delicate linework, emphasis on śauca items (water pot, towels), calm didactic mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate household courtyard, soft hills in background, narrative vignette of invitation list and ritual boundary-setting."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic and cautionary","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm, judicial, precise"}
FAQs
It reflects a Dharmaśāstra-style concern with defining who may serve as a qualified recipient in śrāddha rituals, illustrating how Purāṇic texts often incorporate or echo normative social-ritual categories used in earlier legal and ritual literature.
No geographic location is named in this verse; it is focused on ritual eligibility categories rather than sacred geography.
The passage frames śrāddha as a rite requiring carefully selected recipients, emphasizing social-duty norms (notably responsibility toward parents) and the regulation of ritual roles according to inherited classificatory standards.
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