Varaha Purana 34.7 — Adhyaya 34, Shloka 7
Account of the Origin of the Ancestors (Pitṛs) and the Regulations for Śrāddha Offerings
अग्निं पुरस्कृतो यैस्तु ते द्विजा अग्निहोत्रिणः । नित्यैर्नैमित्तिकैः काम्यैः पार्वणैस्तर्पयन्तु तान् ॥ ३४.७ ॥
agniṃ puraskṛto yais tu te dvijā agnihotriṇaḥ | nityair naimittikaiḥ kāmyaiḥ pārvaṇais tarpayantu tān || 34.7 ||
അഗ്നിയെ മുൻപിൽ വെച്ച് അഗ്നിഹോത്രം അനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്ന ദ്വിജർ, നിത്യ-നൈമിത്തിക-കാമ്യ-പാർവണ കർമങ്ങളാൽ ആ പിതൃകളെ തർപ്പണം ചെയ്യട്ടെ।
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework)
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":"Agnihotrin dvijas should satisfy the Pitṛs through nitya, naimittika, kāmya rites and through pārvana offerings, keeping Agni foremost.","karmic_consequence":"Sustained fire-discipline and proper offerings secure Pitṛ satisfaction and ritual merit; neglect of agnihotra/ancestral rites leads to loss of merit and disruption of pitṛ-ṛṇa repayment (implied)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"Agni ‘in front’ signifies yajña as the mouth of the gods and the conduit to Pitṛs; the taxonomy (nitya/naimittika/kāmya/pārvana) maps human time into sacrificial time, sustaining cosmic circulation.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Agni as the leading principle (puraskṛta) = yajña’s head/front; pārvana (lunar junction offerings) = time’s joints where offerings renew cosmic order.","vedantic_connection":"Karma-yoga frame: disciplined obligatory acts (nitya/naimittika) purify and uphold order; desire-motivated acts (kāmya) are acknowledged but subordinated to dharma’s structure."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma of action","core_concept":"Continuity of sacred fire and regularized rites are the backbone of ancestral reciprocity and social-spiritual stability.","practical_application":"Maintain daily disciplines (nitya), observe occasion-based duties (naimittika), restrain kāmya rites within dharma, and perform pārvana/śrāddha offerings to repay pitṛ-ṛṇa."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Studies","Ancestral Rites","Cultural Heritage"]
Primary Rasa: Shanta
Secondary Rasa: Veera
Type: ritual setting
Related Themes: 34.34.6 (Nāndīmukha honoring in vṛddhi-śrāddha); 34.34.8 (varṇa-differentiated tarpaṇa duties)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dvija householder stands before the sacred fires, placing Agni at the forefront; offerings are made in sequence representing daily, occasional, optional, and pārvana rites, while unseen Pitṛs are satisfied.","item_prompts":["three fires or agnihotra setup","ladle (sruc) and ghee","pārvana offering plates","calendar/moon motif indicating parvan","brāhmaṇa with yajñopavīta, focused posture"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, strong red/orange Agni, ritual implements stylized, priestly figure in profile, layered registers for different rite-types.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, blazing Agni with gold leaf highlights, ornate vessels, central priest figure with halo-like glow from fire, rich textiles.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, detailed fire altar and implements, subtle smoke, calm concentration on face, balanced composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari, domestic courtyard with small fire pit, crisp depiction of ladle and ghee pot, moon/parvan symbol in sky, narrative simplicity."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"ritual-directive","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"firm and rhythmic, enumerative emphasis on ‘nityair naimittikaiḥ kāmyaiḥ’"}
FAQs
It preserves a classical taxonomy of ritual action—nitya (regular), naimittika (occasion-based), and kāmya (goal-oriented)—and links it to pitṛ-tarpaṇa, reflecting how Purāṇic literature systematizes and transmits earlier ritual categories within a broader cultural-heritage framework.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is on ritual procedure (agnihotra and pārvana offerings) rather than a pilgrimage site or sacred landscape.
The verse emphasizes disciplined continuity in cultural practice: those maintaining the sacred fire are instructed to perform structured offerings that acknowledge intergenerational responsibility through established rites.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.