Varaha Purana 14.25: Adhyaya 14, Shloka 25
Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors
रक्षोघ्नमन्त्रपठनं भूमेरास्तरणं तिलैः । कृत्वाऽध्येयाश्च पितरस्त एव द्विजसत्तमाः ॥ १४.२५ ॥
rakṣoghnamantrapaṭhanaṃ bhūmer āstaraṇaṃ tilaiḥ | kṛtvā’dhyeyāś ca pitaras ta eva dvijasattamāḥ || 14.25 ||
രക്ഷോഘ്ന മന്ത്രം പാരായണം ചെയ്ത്, നിലത്ത് എള്ള് വിരിച്ച്, ആ പിതൃകളെയേ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ദ്വിജന്മാർ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ ആഹ്വാനിച്ച്/പാരായണം ചെയ്യണം.
Varāha (default attribution within Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Recite a rakṣo-ghna (protective) mantra, spread sesame on the ground, and then invoke/recite the pitṛs through qualified brāhmaṇas.","karmic_consequence":"Protection and purity prevent ritual obstruction and ensure pitṛs are properly reached; omission risks doṣa (impurity/interruptions) and reduced pitṛ-tṛpti."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Sesame spread on earth and protective mantra frame the rite as a microcosmic ‘earth-purification’, echoing Varāha’s role of stabilizing and safeguarding Bhūmi for yajña.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"bhūmi-āstaraṇa (ground as altar-body); tilāḥ as purificatory ‘seeds’ of continuity for pitṛ-loka linkage; rakṣo-ghna as the protective ‘tusk’ that wards chaos from sacrifice.","vedantic_connection":"Ritual protection symbolizes guarding the sattvic field (kṣetra) so that intention (saṅkalpa) can connect finite action to subtle results (adr̥ṣṭa)."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual purity and protection","core_concept":"Before communion with ancestors, one must establish a protected, purified space—outer order supports inner recollection and reverence.","practical_application":"Begin rites with protective recitation; prepare the ground carefully; use traditional purifiers (tila) to mark sacred boundary and intention."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Ancestral Rites","Mantra Recitation","Purificatory Procedures"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: vīra
Type: ritual_ground
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 14.14.26 (pitṛ satisfaction prayer)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A priest recites a protective mantra while scattering sesame seeds across the prepared ground; brāhmaṇas sit ready to chant pitṛ-nāmas.","item_prompts":["hand scattering black sesame (tila)","kuśa grass arrangement","priest chanting with rosary or hand gesture","protective boundary marks","seated dvija-sattamas reciting"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dynamic scattering gesture, patterned ground with tila dots, stylized mantra-recitation posture, strong ritual symmetry.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted sesame scatter like stippled ornament, ornate altar boundary, richly dressed officiant and brāhmaṇas.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: fine stippling for sesame on earth, detailed kuśa and utensils, calm but potent protective mood.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: earthy palette, clear depiction of sesame on ground, intimate chanting circle, minimal architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective and solemn","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"measured, slightly emphatic on mantra portions","voice_tone":"firm, resonant, warding"}
FAQs
It documents a standardized Purāṇic ritual sequence—protective mantra-recitation and the use of sesame (tila)—reflecting broader Dharmaśāstra-influenced śrāddha conventions and the material culture of ancestral rites.
No specific place-name is mentioned in this verse; it describes a general ritual procedure rather than a site-specific tīrtha or region.
The verse emphasizes careful, orderly performance of ancestral rites—combining protection/purification (rakṣoghna mantra) with respectful remembrance and invocation of ancestors—framed as disciplined practice by learned ritual specialists.
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