Varaha Purana 13.41: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 41

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Pūrva Bhāga · Śrāddha-vidhi (Ancestral Rites and Calendrical Observances)

Devanagari script

नवस्वर्क्षेष्वमावास्या यदा तेषु द्विजोत्तम । तदा श्राद्धानि देयानि अक्षय्यफलमिच्छताम् । अपि कोटिसहस्रेण पुण्यस्यान्तो न विद्यते ॥ १३.४१ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.41

Transliteration

navasvarkṣeṣv amāvāsyā yadā teṣu dvijottama | tadā śrāddhāni deyāni akṣayyaphalam icchatām | api koṭisahasreṇa puṇyasyānto na vidyate || 13.41 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

Jab amavasya in nau nakshatron mein se kisi ek par ho, tab shraadh karo. Iska phal kabhi khatam nahi hota. Itna punya milta hai ki ginti mein nahi aata. Hazaaron crore mein bhi hisaab nahi hota.

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Word by Word

• nava-su-arkṣeṣu: in the nine auspicious nakṣatras
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—सु- (शोभन) उपपदपूर्वकः + अर्क्ष (नक्षत्र) ; ‘नवसु’ = ‘नवेषु’ (नव-शब्दः) इति सप्तमी बहुवचन; समस्तपदम्—नवसु अर्क्षेषु
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक) + su (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + arkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)

• amāvāsyā: new-moon day
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: amāvāsyā (प्रातिपदिक)

• yadā: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); temporal adverb
• Role: Kāla (काल)
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)

• teṣu: in those (nakṣatras)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural (बहुवचन); pronoun
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• dvija-uttama: O best of the twice-born
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारयः—उत्तमः द्विजः
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)

• tadā: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); temporal adverb
• Role: Kāla (काल)
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)

• śrāddhāni: śrāddhas (rites)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) / Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); here as object with passive obligation construction
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)

• deyāni: should be given/offered
• Type: Verb
• Form: Gerundive/Obligatory participle (तव्यत्/यत्—देय), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘to be given/should be offered’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: dā (दा धातु)

• akṣayya-phalam: imperishable fruit (result)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—अक्षयम् फलम् इति कर्मधारयवत्/तत्पुरुषः (अक्षय-विशेषणपूर्वपद)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: akṣayya (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक)

• icchatām: of those who desire
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Present Active Participle (शतृ), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of those desiring’ (akṣayya-phalam)
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Root: iṣ (इष् धातु)

• api: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: api (अव्यय)

• koṭi-sahasreṇa: even by a thousand crores (i.e., immensely)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—कोटीनां सहस्रम् इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; तृतीया—परिमाण/साधनभाव
• Role: Karaṇa/Parimāṇa (करण/परिमाण)
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)

• puṇyasya: of merit
• Type: Noun
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)

• antaḥ: end/limit
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); negation particle (निषेध)
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Root: na (अव्यय)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); impersonal/existential usage
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: vid (विद् धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• navasvarkṣeṣv = nava-su-arkṣeṣu (su + arkṣeṣu → svarkṣeṣu)
• akṣayyaphalam = akṣayya-phalam
• koṭisahasreṇa = koṭi-sahasreṇa
• puṇyasyānto = puṇyasya + antaḥ

Speaker and setting

Adbhuta and Shanta rasaSetting: Ritual-time (nine nakṣatra set)

Speaker

Varāha

Bhu Devi and Varaha

In this verse

Varaha teaches her

Her state of mind

Curious

What she asks

Which amāvāsyā–nakṣatra conjunctions yield akṣaya (imperishable) fruit for śrāddha?

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Ethics of intentionality + sacred time

Subjects

EthicsRitual StudiesCalendrical/Cosmological Time (Nakṣatra and Lunar Observance)

Core idea

Dharma is not only what is done, but when and with what aim (akṣaya-phala).

In practice

Maintain a family pañcāṅga record; when such yogas arise, perform śrāddha with dana (til, anna, vastra) and sincere sankalpa for lineage welfare.

Symbolism of the boar

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Dharma-śāstra Interface

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic integration of ritual practice with astral-lunar calendrics, showing how śrāddha observances were framed through nakṣatra timing and the concept of accumulating puṇya (merit) in classical Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the reference is calendrical (amāvāsyā and nakṣatra groupings) rather than topographical.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse presents a normative instruction to perform ancestral offerings (śrāddha) at an auspicious calendrical conjunction, emphasizing intentional giving and continuity of merit as a guiding principle.