Varaha Purana 13.39: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 39

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Pūrva Bhāga · Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and Tithi–Nakṣatra Observances (Śrāddha/Ancestral Rites)

Devanagari script

अमावस्या यदा पुष्ये रौद्रेऽथार्क्षे पुनर्वसौ । द्वादशाब्दं तथा तृप्तिं प्रयान्ति पितरोऽर्च्चिताः ॥ १३.३९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.39

Transliteration

amāvasyā yadā puṣye raudre ’thārkṣe punarvasau | dvādaśābdaṃ tathā tṛptiṃ prayānti pitaro ’rccitāḥ || 13.39 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

अमावस्या के दिन जब पुष्य, रौद्र, अर्क्ष या पुनर्वसु नक्षत्र हो, तब भी श्राद्ध करो। पितरों को सही तरह से पूजा करने से बारह साल तक शांति मिलती है।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

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

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

• puṣye: in Puṣya (nakṣatra)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); nakṣatra-name
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: puṣya (प्रातिपदिक)

• raudre: in Raudra (nakṣatra)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); nakṣatra-name (Raudra/Ārdrā tradition)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: raुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• atha: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); particle/conjunction (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Root: atha (अव्यय)

• arkṣe: in Arkṣa (nakṣatra)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); nakṣatra-name (Ārṣa)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: arkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)

• punarvasau: in Punarvasu (nakṣatra)
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); nakṣatra-name
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Root: punarvasu (प्रातिपदिक)

• dvādaśa-abdam: for twelve years
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगुसमासः—द्वादश + अब्द; tṛptim-विशेषणम् (कालपरिमाण)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + abda (प्रातिपदिक)

• tathā: thus/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); adverb
• Role: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• Type: Noun
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)

• prayānti: attain/go to
• Type: Verb
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Root: pra-yā (या धातु)

• pitaraḥ: the ancestors
• Type: Noun
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)

• arcitāḥ: honoured/worshipped
• Type: Adjective
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त/कृत), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); pitaraḥ-विशेषणम्
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Root: arc (अर्च् धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• raudre ’tha = raudre + atha
• athārkṣe = atha + arkṣe
• pitaro ’rccitāḥ = pitaraḥ + arcitāḥ
• dvādaśābdaṃ = dvādaśa-abdam

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Adbhuta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma as alignment with cosmic order (ṛta)

Subjects

EthicsRitual CalendarAncestral Rites

Core idea

Right action gains potency when synchronized with cosmic rhythms (nakṣatra–tithi).

In practice

Use pañcāṅga to plan annual/occasional śrāddha on these conjunctions for sustained familial well-being.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharmaśāstra Interface
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic synthesis of ritual timing (tithi–nakṣatra coordination) with ancestral observances, aligning popular devotional practice with calendrical astronomy found across late-ancient Sanskrit ritual literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it is primarily calendrical (tithi and nakṣatra) rather than place-based sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes conscientious remembrance and honoring of ancestors through properly timed rites, presenting this as a cultural-ethical duty linked to familial continuity and gratitude.