Varaha Purana 188.74: Adhyaya 188, Shloka 74

Section on the Origin and Procedure of Piṇḍa-Rites and Śrāddha: Rules of Mourning Impurity

Aśauca

Uttara Bhāga · Śrāddha / Pretakārya (Merit and purification framing)

Devanagari script

सर्वान्नमक्षयं तस्य दत्तं भवति सुन्दरि॥ कर्तव्य एवं संस्कारः प्रेतभावविशोधनः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 188.74

Transliteration

sarvānnam akṣayaṁ tasya dattaṁ bhavati sundari || kartavya evaṁ saṁskāraḥ pretabhāva-viśodhanaḥ

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

सुंदरी, उसका दिया हुआ खाना कभी खत्म नहीं होता। यह करम ऐसे ही करना, जो प्रेत की अवस्था को साफ कर दे।

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Word by Word

• सर्व-अन्नम्: all food
• Type: Noun
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वम् अन्नम्)
• Role: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्षयम्: imperishable / inexhaustible
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Root: अक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)

• तस्य: for him / of him
• Type: Noun
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• दत्तम्: given
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; (यत्) दत्तम्
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Root: दत्त (√दा, धातु; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)

• भवति: becomes / is
• Type: Verb
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Root: √भू (धातु)

• सुन्दरि: O beautiful one
• Type: Noun
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
• Role: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/सम्बोधन)
• Root: सुन्दरी (प्रातिपदिक)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• Type: Adjective
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तव्यत् (gerundive/obligatory)
• Role: विधेय (Vidheyā/विधेय)
• Root: कर्तव्य (√कृ, धातु; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: रीत्यर्थक अव्यय (adverb of manner)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)

• संस्कारः: rite / ritual
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Kartā/कर्ता)
• Root: संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रेत-भाव-विशोधनः: purifying the preta-state
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: प्रेतभावस्य विशोधनः (purifier of the state of being a preta)
• Role: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• सर्वान्नम् = सर्व-अन्नम् (कर्मधारय)
• प्रेतभावविशोधनः = प्रेत-भाव-विशोधनः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker and setting

Shanta and Karuna rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Path

Karman And Postmortem Anthropology

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticePhilosophical Anthropology

Core idea

Ritual action (saṁskāra) can transform the post-death condition (preta-bhāva) and stabilize merit as akṣaya through correct intention and offering.

In practice

Perform prescribed śrāddha/preta-kriyā with proper saṅkalpa and dāna of anna to support the departed and accrue enduring merit.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ritual
• Merit Theory
• Cultural Heritage

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It provides a doctrinal summary of ritual purpose: transforming the deceased’s post-death status, a key idea for comparative studies of Hindu funerary literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is stated; the verse is doctrinal and evaluative.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

Ritual giving is framed as durable ethical capital (akṣaya), and the performance is oriented toward alleviating the deceased’s liminal condition.