Varaha Purana 188.71 — Adhyaya 188, Shloka 71
Section on the Origin and Procedure of Piṇḍa-Rites and Śrāddha: Rules of Mourning Impurity
Aśauca
गत्वा तु ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽपि स्वगृहं यत्र तिष्ठति॥ पक्वान्नं भोजयेत्सर्वं न तिष्ठेत् प्रतिवासिकम्
gatvā tu brāhmaṇebhyo 'pi svagṛhaṁ yatra tiṣṭhati || pakvānnaṁ bhojayet sarvaṁ na tiṣṭhet prativāsikam
Having then attended to the brāhmaṇas, he should return to his own dwelling where he resides. He should feed them with all cooked food, and he should not remain as a prativāsika (one who lingers in a restricted state).
Varāha (default, instructional voice)
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":"After attending to brāhmaṇas, the householder should return home and feed them cooked food fully, and should not remain in a ‘prativāsika’ lingering/restricted state.","karmic_consequence":"Completing hospitality and concluding the rite properly secures śrāddha merit and social-ritual harmony; lingering/incorrect post-rite conduct risks doṣa and loss of fruit."}
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 as completion","core_concept":"Ritual is not only performance but proper closure (samāpti) through feeding and returning to ordinary dharmic life.","practical_application":"Do not leave rites half-finished; ensure guests/ritual recipients are fully fed and the household returns to regular duties without improper lingering austerity."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Practice","Social Conduct"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: dāna/karuṇā-toned
Type: domestic space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 188.82 (tarpaṇa allocation); Varāha Purāṇa 188.83 (feeding poor and afterlife result)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A householder returns to his home and serves a full cooked meal to seated brāhmaṇas, signaling the rite’s completion and release from restriction.","item_prompts":["seated brāhmaṇas in a row","platters of pakvānna","householder serving with humility","water for ācamana","clean courtyard/threshold","gesture of respectful offering"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical feeding scene; bold outlines; warm ochres; ritual cleanliness emphasized; minimal architecture.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold accents on serving vessels and borders; rich textiles; formal composition with brāhmaṇas as central recipients.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: refined interior courtyard; detailed food items; gentle expressions; soft lighting.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate domestic veranda; delicate linework; narrative warmth; subtle landscape beyond doorway."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"settled, instructive","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"calm, advisory"}
FAQs
It preserves a social-ritual ethic: feeding as a completion-marker of rites and a return to normal household status, reflecting norms of hospitality and ritual closure.
No geographic location is specified; the setting is the householder’s residence (svagṛha).
Completion of rites is paired with generosity (feeding) and with avoiding unnecessary prolongation of restricted ritual states.
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.