Varaha Purana 14.17: Adhyaya 14, Shloka 17

Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors

Devanagari script

काले तत्रातिथिं प्राप्तमन्नकामं द्विजाध्वगम् । ब्राह्मणैरभ्यनुज्ञातः कामं तमपि पूजयेत् ॥ १४.१७ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 14.17

Transliteration

kāle tatrātithiṃ prāptam annakāmaṃ dvijādhvagam | brāhmaṇair abhyanujñātaḥ kāmaṃ tam api pūjayet || 14.17 ||

Translation

अगर सही टाइम पर कोई मेहमान आ जाए जो खाना माँगता हो, और ब्राह्मण उसे ठीक समझ लें, तो उसे भी खाना खिलाओ। दिल से उसकी सेवा करो।

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Word by Word

• kāle: at the time
• kāle: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative, 7th), एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• atithim: a guest
• atithim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• prāptam: arrived
• prāptam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √prāp (धातु) → prāpta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; atithim इति विशेषणम्

• anna-kāmam: desiring food
• anna-kāmam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक) + kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (object-desire: ‘desiring food’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; atithim इति विशेषणम्

• dvija-adhvagam: a brahmin traveler
• dvija-adhvagam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + adhvaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘brahmin traveler’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; atithim इति विशेषणम्

• brāhmaṇaiḥ: by the brahmins
• brāhmaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन

• abhyanujñātaḥ: having been permitted
• abhyanujñātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-anu-√jñā (धातु) → anujñāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: उपसर्गयुक्त क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘having been permitted/approved’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कर्ता-विशेषणम्, implied subject)

• kāmam: as desired/at will
• kāmam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kāmam (अव्यय)
• Form: अनुज्ञा/स्वीकृत्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: as you wish/at will)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (pronoun)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• pūjayet: should honor/worship
• pūjayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dharma
• Sanskrit Ethics
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a pan-Indic dharma discourse on atithi-satkāra (guest-honour), a recurring ethical norm across Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra literature that regulated social obligations toward travellers and dependents.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific toponym appears in this verse; the reference is situational (“tatra”, ‘there’), dependent on the surrounding chapter’s setting in the larger text.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To provide respectful hospitality—especially food—to an arriving guest/traveller, framed as a voluntary yet socially guided duty (“with the brāhmaṇas’ approval, one should honour him as well”).