Varaha Purana 13.38 — Adhyaya 13, Shloka 38

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Devanagari script

अमावास्या यदा आर्द्राविशाखास्वातियोगिनो । श्राद्धैः पितृगणस्तृप्तिं तदाप्नोत्यष्टवार्षिकीम् ॥ १३.३८ ॥

Transliteration

amāvāsyā yadā ārdrāviśākhāsvātiyogino | śrāddhaiḥ pitṛgaṇas tṛptiṃ tadāpnoty aṣṭavārṣikīm || 13.38 ||

Translation

新月日アマーヴァーシャー（amāvāsyā）がアールドラー（Ārdrā）、ヴィシャーカー（Viśākhā）、またはスヴァーティー（Svātī）の宿と合する時、シュラーダ（śrāddha）の供物によって祖霊の群（pitṛ-gaṇa）は八年にわたる満足を得る。

Word by Word

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

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

• ārdrā-viśākhā-svāti-yoginaḥ: (when it is) in conjunction with Ārdrā, Viśākhā, and Svātī (nakṣatras)
• ārdrā-viśākhā-svāti-yoginaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārdrā (प्रातिपदिक) + viśākhā (प्रातिपदिक) + svāti (प्रातिपदिक) + yogin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); समासः—आर्द्राविशाखास्वातिभिः योगः यस्य/येषां ते इति (योगिन्-शब्दः) तत्पुरुषसमासः; amāvāsyā-विशेषणम्

• śrāddhaiḥ: by śrāddha rites
• śrāddhaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pitṛ-gaṇaḥ: the group of ancestors
• pitṛ-gaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—पितॄणां गणः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

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

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

• āpnoti: attains/obtains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aṣṭa-vārṣikīm: eight-year (lasting)
• aṣṭa-vārṣikīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + vārṣikī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगुसमासः—अष्ट (संख्या) + वार्षिकी; tṛptim-विशेषणम्

Speaker

Varāha (default instructor voice in Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)

Varaha Avatara Context

Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}

Bhu Devi Dialogue

Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}

Mathura Mandala

Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}

Dharma Shastra

Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Perform śrāddha on amāvāsyā when it coincides with Ārdrā/Viśākhā/Svātī to secure extended pitṛ-tṛpti.","karmic_consequence":"Proper observance yields pitṛ satisfaction for eight years; neglect forfeits this specific long-duration fruit."}

Vrata Mahatmya

Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}

Cosmic Boar Symbolism

Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}

Philosophical Teaching

Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-adhikāra / kāla-viśeṣa (time-specific dharma)","core_concept":"Karmic yield of śrāddha is amplified by auspicious temporal conjunctions (tithi with nakṣatra).","practical_application":"Consult pañcāṅga; schedule śrāddha on these yogas for family pitṛ-tarpaṇa and continuity of lineage blessings."}

Subject Matter

Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Cultural Heritage"]

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: śānta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual-time (tithi–nakṣatra conjunction)

Cross References

Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.39-42 (continuation of amāvāsyā–nakṣatra śrāddha timings)

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha as a calm divine instructor enumerates amāvāsyā conjunctions; a ritualist offers piṇḍa and water while subtle pitṛ figures receive satisfaction.","item_prompts":["Varāha seated in teaching posture","palm-leaf/pañcāṅga motif","amāvāsyā moonless sky","piṇḍa offerings on darbha","water libation (tarpana) vessel","faint ancestral silhouettes blessing the rite"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: serene Varāha guru, flat warm palette, stylized pañcāṅga symbols, ritual tray with piṇḍa and darbha, pitṛs as translucent attendants.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style: gold-leaf haloed Varāha, ornate ritual paraphernalia, rich reds/greens, pitṛs in miniature panels receiving offerings.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style: delicate linework Varāha teaching a brāhmaṇa, detailed śrāddha setup, subdued elegance, soft shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari style: intimate veranda teaching scene, moonless night indicated symbolically, small pitṛ figures in clouds, crisp natural pigments."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic and auspicious","suggested_raga":"Śrī (or Bhairav for gravitas)","pace":"medium-slow with clear enunciation of nakṣatra names","voice_tone":"steady, instructive, reverent"}

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharma-śāstra Interface
• Ritual Calendrics

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic synthesis of ritual practice with calendrical astronomy (nakṣatra-based timing), illustrating how medieval Sanskrit traditions systematized ancestral rites (śrāddha) within a broader cultural-legal framework.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic site is named in this verse; it focuses on temporal markers (amāvāsyā and nakṣatras) rather than sacred geography.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes responsible remembrance and care for ancestors through properly timed, culturally sanctioned rites—an ethic of intergenerational duty expressed via ritual observance.