Varaha Purana 13.49: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 49
The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times
गायन्ति चैतत् पितरः कदा तु वर्षामघातृप्तिमवाप्य भूयः । माघासितान्ते शुभतीर्थतोयैर्यास्याम तृप्तिं तनयादिदत्तैः ॥ १३.४९ ॥
gāyanti caitat pitaraḥ kadā tu varṣāmaghātṛptim avāpya bhūyaḥ | māghāsitānte śubhatīrthatoyair yāsyāma tṛptiṁ tanayād idattaiḥ || 13.49 ||
ಪಿತೃಗಳು ಹೀಗೆ ಹಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ—“ವರ್ಷಾ ಕಾಲ ಮತ್ತು ಅಘ-ಆಚರಣೆಗಳಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೆ ತೃಪ್ತಿ ಪಡೆದು, ಮಾಘ ಮಾಸದ ಕೃಷ್ಣಪಕ್ಷಾಂತದಲ್ಲಿ, ಪುತ್ರಾದಿಗಳು ನೀಡುವ ಶುಭ ತೀರ್ಥಜಲಗಳಿಂದ ನಾವು ಯಾವಾಗ ತೃಪ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುವೆವು?”
Pitaraḥ (quoted within the Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
When and by what offerings do Pitṛs attain renewed satisfaction, especially in Māgha’s dark fortnight?
attentive; contemplative about Pitṛ-needs and timing
Pitṛs long for satisfaction obtained through seasonal observances and, specifically, offerings with auspicious tīrtha-waters at the end of Māgha kṛṣṇa-pakṣa, given by sons/descendants.
Timely śrāddha/tarpaṇa in Māgha with tīrtha-jala increases Pitṛ-tṛpti and ancestral blessings; omission leads to continued Pitṛ-asantoṣa and diminished familial auspiciousness.
Māgha-kṛṣṇa-pakṣānta Pitṛ-tarpaṇa/Śrāddha observance (tīrtha-jala emphasis)
Māgha, end of the dark fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣānta)
Pitṛ-tṛpti (ancestral contentment), removal of Pitṛ-doṣa, and consequent welfare for descendants.
interdependence of generations (ṛṇa and reciprocity)
Pitṛs depend on descendants’ timely acts; descendants inherit dharmic responsibility (pitṛ-ṛṇa) that sustains lineage welfare.
Mark Māgha kṛṣṇa-pakṣānta for tarpaṇa/śrāddha using tīrtha-water (or water ritually substituted with tīrtha-saṅkalpa) and ensure offerings are ‘tanayādi-datta’—given by family with sincerity.
sacred fords/rivers as ritual media; time as sacred locus
Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.48 (tīrtha-snāna and arcana for Pitṛ-hita); Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.50 (purity of mind/wealth, proper time and method)
FAQs
It preserves a Purāṇic model of ancestral rites (Pitṛ-tarpaṇa/Śrāddha) tied to specific calendrical markers (Māgha, dark fortnight) and to tīrtha landscapes, reflecting how ritual practice and sacred geography were mutually reinforcing in medieval Sanskrit textual culture.
No single named location is specified here; the verse refers generically to “śubha-tīrtha” (auspicious sacred fords/pilgrimage waters), implying a network of recognized tīrthas rather than one site.
The verse foregrounds filial responsibility and intergenerational reciprocity: descendants are expected to perform offerings (especially water offerings at tīrthas at auspicious times) as a culturally sanctioned means of expressing care for ancestors.
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