Varaha Purana 14.48 — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 48
Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors
सहस्रस्यापि विप्राणां योगी चेत् पुरतः स्थितः । सर्वान् भोक्तॄंस्तारयति यजमानं तथा द्विज ॥ १४.४८ ॥
sahasrasyāpi viprāṇāṁ yogī cet purataḥ sthitaḥ | sarvān bhoktṝṁstārayati yajamānaṁ tathā dvija || 14.48 ||
ആയിരം വിപ്രന്മാരിലുപോലും മുൻപിൽ ഒരു യോഗി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, അവൻ ഭോജനം ചെയ്യുന്ന എല്ലാവരെയും യജമാനനെയും കൂടി, ഹേ ദ്വിജാ, തരിക്കുന്നു.
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; explicit speaker not given in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"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":"In śrāddha/feeding rites, the presence of a realized yogin (placed foremost) elevates and benefits all diners and the yajamāna.","karmic_consequence":"Honoring a yogin as foremost amplifies merit and salvific benefit for participants; ignoring spiritual hierarchy/fitness of recipients reduces fruit and may incur ritual deficiency (doṣa)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriology through saṅga (association)","core_concept":"Contact with realized persons transmits uplift; spiritual qualification (adhikāra) matters more than sheer numbers.","practical_application":"When performing śrāddha/dāna/feeding, prioritize inviting and honoring disciplined, self-controlled practitioners; cultivate satsanga as a multiplier of merit."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Soteriology"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 14.14.47 (timing) → 14.14.48 (recipient/lead presence) as complementary conditions of efficacy
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha/feeding assembly of many brāhmaṇas with one yogin seated foremost; subtle radiance from the yogin symbolizing ‘tāraṇa’ (carrying across) of all present and the yajamāna.","item_prompts":["row of seated brāhmaṇas","foremost yogin with matted hair/ascetic marks","yajamāna offering water/food","aura/light motif indicating spiritual uplift"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized banquet row; yogin foremost with calm aura; yajamāna in respectful posture; warm earth tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold aura; symmetrical seated diners; ornate vessels; rich textile patterns.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined faces and gestures; soft halo around yogin; detailed ritual utensils.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate courtyard scene; yogin foremost under a canopy; delicate pastel palette; emphasis on devotional respect."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent and affirmative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"warm, declarative"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic valuation of ascetic-yogic authority within or alongside ritual settings, indicating how later Sanskrit traditions often integrate renunciant ideals (yogin) with sacrificial and communal religious culture (yajamāna and participants).
No geographic place-name appears in this verse; the content is primarily social-ritual and soteriological rather than topographical.
The verse emphasizes the perceived transformative efficacy of a realized practitioner (yogin) for the wider community, framing spiritual benefit as something that can extend to ritual participants and the patron through association and proper leadership.
Ask anything about this verse
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