Varaha Purana 14.8: Adhyaya 14, Shloka 8

Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors

Devanagari script

प्रथमेऽह्नि बुधः कुर्याद् विप्राग्र्याणां निमन्त्रणम् । आनिमन्त्र्य द्विजान् गेहमागतान् भोजयेद् यतीन् ॥ १४.८ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 14.8

Transliteration

prathame 'hni budhaḥ kuryād viprāgryāṇāṃ nimantraṇam | ānimantrya dvijān geham āgatān bhojayed yatīn || 14.8 ||

Translation

ആദ്യദിവസം വിവേകിയൻ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ ക്ഷണിക്കണം; ക്ഷണിക്കപ്പെട്ട് വീട്ടിലെത്തിയ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്കും യതികൾക്കും ആഹാരം നൽകണം।

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Word by Word

• प्रथमे: on the first
• प्रथमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (to अह्नि)

• अह्नि: day
• अह्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• बुधः: a wise man
• बुधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• विप्राग्र्याणाम्: of the foremost brāhmaṇas
• विप्राग्र्याणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र + अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विप्रेषु अग्र्याः); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• निमन्त्रणम्: invitation
• निमन्त्रणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमन्त्रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म

• आनिमन्त्र्य: having invited
• आनिमन्त्र्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-निमन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव (having invited)

• द्विजान्: twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

• गेहम्: to the house
• गेहम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह/गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (goal as object with motion)

• आगतान्: who have come
• आगतान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, PPP); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (to द्विजान्)

• भोजयेत्: should feed
• भोजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्/भोज् (धातु) (causative of √भुज्/भुज् ‘to eat/enjoy’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘cause to eat/feed’)

• यतीन्: ascetics
• यतीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Varāha

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Dharma
• Hospitality Ethics
• Vaishnavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic and Dharma-śāstra concern with regulated hospitality (atithi-satkara) and structured observance-days, indicating how household ritual life was framed through invitations and communal feeding.

Which geographic location is identified?

No geographic location is named in this verse; the setting is a generic household (geha) context rather than a specific tīrtha or region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse prioritizes disciplined generosity: inviting learned guests and ensuring food is offered to ascetics, presenting hospitality as an ethical duty within a structured observance.