Varaha Purana 180.120 — Adhyaya 180, Shloka 120
The Glory of Dhruva-Tīrtha: Rules of Ancestor Libations and Śrāddha, and the Consequences of Lineage-Continuity
पठति श्रद्धया युक्तो ब्राह्मणानां च सन्निधौ ॥ स पितॄंस्तर्पयेत्सर्वानभिगम्य गयाशिरे ।
paṭhati śraddhayā yukto brāhmaṇānāṁ ca sannidhau || sa pitṝṁs tarpayet sarvān abhigamya gayāśire |
Endowed with faith, and in the presence of brāhmaṇas, if one recites this, then—having gone to Gayāśiras—one should satisfy all the ancestors through tarpaṇa.
Varāha (default framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)
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":"श्रद्धया ब्राह्मण-सन्निधौ पाठ/जपं कृत्वा गयाशिरसि गत्वा सर्व-पितॄणां तर्पणं कुर्यात्।","karmic_consequence":"श्रद्धा-युक्त-श्राद्ध/तर्पणेन पितृ-तृप्तिः, पितृलोक-प्राप्ति/उद्धारः; उपेक्षया पितृ-अतृप्तिः।"}
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":"karma-ritual efficacy","core_concept":"श्रद्धा तथा योग्य-सत्सन्निधि (ब्राह्मण-सन्निधि) कर्मफल-प्रवर्तकौ; पितृऋण-शोधनं धर्मः।","practical_application":"श्राद्ध/तर्पणं श्रद्धया, शुद्ध-उच्चारणेन, योग्य-देशे (तीर्थे) च कर्तव्यम्।"}
Subject Matter: ["Heritage Sites","Geography","Ritual Practice"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: तीर्थ/पितृ-श्राद्ध-क्षेत्र
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa: पितृ-श्राद्ध/तीर्थ-माहात्म्य-प्रकरण (अध्याय-सन्दर्भः अज्ञातः)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"ब्राह्मण-सन्निधौ श्रद्धया पाठं कृत्वा तीर्थे गयाशिरसि तर्पण-क्रिया—कुश, जल, पिण्ड/तिल-सम्भार सहितः साधकः पितृ-तृप्त्यर्थं अञ्जलिं विसृजति।","item_prompts":["ब्राह्मणाः वेद-पाठ-चिह्नैः","कुश-दर्भाः","तर्पण-जल-पात्रम्","तिल/अक्षत","गया-शिला/गयाशिरः-तीर्थ-चिह्न","शान्त-तीर्थ-परिसरः"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"केरल-म्यूरल-शैली: तीर्थ-तट-भूमौ साधकः कुश-धारी, ब्राह्मणाः पार्श्वे, मृदु-हरित-नील-भूमिका, स्पष्ट-रेखांकन, शान्त-भाव।","tanjore_prompt":"तंजावूर-शैली: तर्पण-क्रिया केन्द्रे, स्वर्ण-पत्र-आभा सहितः पात्र/आभरण-उज्ज्वलता, ब्राह्मण-समूहः पृष्ठभूमौ, तीर्थ-शिला अलंकरण-युक्ता।","mysore_prompt":"मैसूर-शैली: सूक्ष्म-रेखांकन, मृदु-रङ्ग-छाया, साधकस्य हस्त-मुद्रा (अञ्जलि-विसर्जन), ब्राह्मण-सन्निधि संयत-रचना।","pahari_prompt":"पहाड़ी-शैली: पर्वतीय-नदी-तट-कल्पना सहितं तीर्थ-दृश्य, लघु-आकृतयः, स्वच्छ-रङ्ग, तर्पण-क्रिया सूक्ष्म-भाव-प्रधान।"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"विधि-प्रधान, शान्त, श्रद्धा-युक्त","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"मध्यम","voice_tone":"गम्भीर, स्पष्ट-उच्चारण, अनुष्ठान-भाव"}
FAQs
It attests to Gayā’s long-standing role as a major ancestral-rite center, corroborated across multiple Sanskrit textual traditions.
Gayāśiras refers to Gayā (often associated with the Gayā region in present-day Bihar, India), renowned for pitṛ rites in classical sources.
The verse emphasizes disciplined performance of remembrance rites—faith, learned oversight (brāhmaṇa presence), and pilgrimage to a recognized heritage site.
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