Varaha Purana 187.50: Adhyaya 187, Shloka 50
Determination of the Origin and Procedure of the Ancestral Offering
Pitṛyajña/Śrāddha
नरकं पूतिकाख्यातं हृदि दुःखं विदुर्बुधाः ॥ परित्राणं ततः पुत्रादिच्छन्तीह परत्र च ॥
narakaṃ pūtikākhyātaṃ hṛdi duḥkhaṃ vidur budhāḥ || paritrāṇaṃ tataḥ putrād icchantīha paratra ca ||
बुद्धिमान लोग कहते हैं पुतिका नाम का नरक होता है, जो दिल में दुख देता है। इसलिए लोग बेटा चाहते हैं, ताकि यहाँ भी और मरने के बाद भी पास हो।
Atreya (character voice; generalized claim attributed to “the wise”)
FAQs
It is evidence for Purāṇic moral-psychological language where “hell” can be conceptualized as inner suffering, alongside more literal afterlife frameworks tied to lineage duties.
No earthly location is named; “Pūtikā” is presented as a named hell-concept rather than a place on the map.
It frames a cultural rationale for seeking offspring as a form of protection across life and afterlife, while also highlighting inner suffering as a moral concern.
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