Varaha Purana 188.28 — Adhyaya 188, Shloka 28
Section on the Origin and Procedure of Piṇḍa-Rites and Śrāddha: Rules of Mourning Impurity
Aśauca
कृत्वा तु पिण्डसङ्कल्पं नामगोत्रेण माधवि ॥ पश्चादश्नन्ति गोत्राणि कुलजाश्चैकभोजनाः ॥
kṛtvā tu piṇḍasaṅkalpaṃ nāmagotreṇa mādhavi | paścād aśnanti gotrāṇi kulajāś caikabhojanāḥ ||
Having first performed the formal saṅkalpa for the piṇḍa-offering, stating the name and gotra, O Mādhavī, thereafter those of the same gotra and those of the family line eat together as a single dining group.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Indirect: Varāha teaches correct śrāddha sequence (saṅkalpa with name/gotra) that must be performed on Earth’s ritual ground before communal eating."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","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":"In śrāddha, first perform piṇḍa-saṅkalpa specifying name and gotra; only afterward may same-gotra and family members dine together (ekabhojana).","karmic_consequence":"Following sequence preserves śrāddha validity and lineage-specific offering; violating order risks misdirection of offering and loss of intended pitṛ-satisfaction/merit."}
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 (saṅkalpa and social order)","core_concept":"Intention (saṅkalpa) with precise identity (nāma-gotra) directs ritual efficacy; social acts like eating become dharmic when sequenced after sacred intention.","practical_application":"Before any śrāddha dining, explicitly state the intended recipient(s) by name and gotra; then allow qualified kin/same-gotra participants to eat together."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Social Custom"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: None
Type: domestic ritual site
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 188.28-29 (purity and acceptance conditions for offerings)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha rite in progress: the performer completes piṇḍa-saṅkalpa with name and gotra, then a seated group of same-gotra/family members share a single, orderly meal.","item_prompts":["ritualist with palm-leaf/gesture of saṅkalpa","piṇḍas on a leaf/plate","kuśa grass and water pot","family members seated in a line for ekabhojana","simple sacred meal vessels"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, orderly row of diners, clear depiction of saṅkalpa gesture and piṇḍa placement, warm earth tones, emphasis on dharmic sequence.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central saṅkalpa figure with gold highlights, symmetrical dining group, ornate vessels, iconic clarity.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, delicate facial expressions, detailed utensils and textiles, calm domestic sanctity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style, intimate family courtyard scene, lyrical composition with seated line of diners, soft colors, gentle sacred mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"calm, procedural, community-oriented","suggested_raga":"Khamaj","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, composed, instructive"}
FAQs
It reflects a codified sequence in funerary/ancestral rites—first the saṅkalpa and offering, then regulated commensality—showing how Purāṇic texts preserve and transmit ritual-social norms.
No specific pilgrimage site or geographic toponym is identified in this verse; it is primarily procedural and social-ritual in focus.
To perform rites with clear identification (name and lineage) and to observe ordered, communal conduct after the offering, emphasizing ritual clarity and social discipline.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.