Varaha Purana 14.31 — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 31
Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors
यज्ञेश्वरो हव्यसमस्तकाव्यभोक्ता । अव्ययात्मा हरिरीश्वरॊऽत्र । तत्सन्निधानादपयान्तु सद्यो रक्षांस्यशेषाण्यसुराश्च सर्वे ॥ १४.३१ ॥
yajñeśvaro havyasamastakāvyabhoktā | avyayātmā harir īśvaro ’tra | tatsannidhānād apayāntu sadyo rakṣāṁsy aśeṣāṇy asurāś ca sarve || 14.31 ||
ハリは祭祀（ヤジュニャ）の主にして、供物（ハヴヤ）ならびに諸儀礼の一切の捧げ物を享受する御方であり、不滅の自己としてここに住す。御臨在の力により、残らずすべての羅刹（ラクシャサ）と、またすべての阿修羅（アスラ）とが、ただちに退散せんことを。
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; explicit speaker not stated in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Invoke Hari as Yajñeśvara and universal enjoyer of havya/kavya; by acknowledging His immanent presence, command all rākṣasas and asuras to depart from the ritual space.","karmic_consequence":"Recognition of Viṣṇu’s sacred presence secures protection and completion of rites; disregard of sanctification invites impediments and fear, diminishing ritual steadiness."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Yajña-Varāha theology: the Lord is the inner consumer (bhoktṛ) of both deva-offerings (havya) and pitṛ-offerings (kavya), the imperishable Self present ‘here’—making the ritual space a microcosm of cosmic sacrifice.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Yajñeśvara as the presiding principle of oblation; havya+kavya integration indicates Viṣṇu as the single ground of all sacrificial channels.","vedantic_connection":"Antaryāmin/avyayātman: the imperishable Self pervades the rite; devotion recognizes non-separation between sacred presence and the performer’s consciousness, stabilizing dharma."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"theology (Vaiṣṇava) + nondual immanence","core_concept":"Viṣṇu/Hari is the ultimate recipient and inner Self of all offerings; divine presence itself is apotropaic and establishes order.","practical_application":"Before/within rites, mentally install Hari’s presence (smaraṇa/āvāhana), then proceed with offerings confidently, maintaining purity and steadiness."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Culture (Yajña)","Protective Invocation","Theology (Vaiṣṇava)","Sacred Presence and Space"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Type: sanctified enclosure (yajña/śrāddha space)
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 14.14.30 (yātudhāna dismissal)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Hari as Yajñeśvara is envisioned present at the ritual site—radiant, steady—while rākṣasas and asuras recoil and flee from the sanctified perimeter.","item_prompts":["Hari enthroned or standing as luminous presence","ritual fire/altar or śrāddha setup","waves of light pushing back dark figures","protective circle/mandala on ground","offerings (havis) and piṇḍas symbolically present"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: majestic Hari with bold contours and halo, dynamic fleeing rākṣasas at edges, rich reds/greens, strong sacred geometry around the altar.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: iconic Hari with heavy gold-leaf halo and ornaments, gold radiance dominating, small subdued asuras departing, ornate frame.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant Hari with refined jewelry, soft luminous aura, detailed altar implements, controlled depiction of departing demons.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative scene with Hari’s calm central figure, delicate landscape/courtyard, small expressive rākṣasas fleeing, emphasis on contrast between serenity and disturbance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"majestic, protective invocation","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"resonant, authoritative, concluding with firm cadence"}
FAQs
It reflects a common Purāṇic and ritual-literary motif: invoking the deity as yajñeśvara (lord of sacrifice) and asserting that sacred presence functions as a protective boundary, a feature often associated with temple space, yajña grounds, and recitation contexts.
No explicit geographic toponym appears in this verse; the term 'atra' (“here”) indicates a ritually marked location in context, but the excerpt alone does not allow a secure identification.
The verse emphasizes maintaining ritual and moral order through the cultivation of a protected sacred environment—framed as the pacification/removal of disruptive forces—rather than an instruction of coercion against human groups.
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