Varaha Purana 13.37 — Adhyaya 13, Shloka 37
The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times
नक्षत्रग्रहपीडासु दुष्टस्वप्नावलोकने । इच्छाश्राद्धानि कुर्वीत नवसस्यागमे तथा ॥ १३.३७ ॥
nakṣatragrahapīḍāsu duṣṭasvapnāvalokane | icchāśrāddhāni kurvīta navasasyāgame tathā || 13.37 ||
Ketika ditimpa gangguan akibat rasi bintang dan planet, apabila terlihat mimpi yang tidak baik, dan juga pada saat tibanya hasil tuaian baharu, seseorang boleh melaksanakan upacara śrāddha menurut niatnya sebagai amalan sukarela.
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; not explicit in excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Guidance offered within the Varāha teaching frame; no explicit physical interaction with Bhū."}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"concerned, seeking remedies","key_question":"In times of omens, planetary afflictions, or life-transitions like new harvest, what dharmic act can be done voluntarily to restore auspiciousness and honor the ancestors?"}
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":"Perform optional (icchā) śrāddha during graha/nakṣatra afflictions, after inauspicious dreams, and at the coming of new grain/harvest.","karmic_consequence":"Such śrāddha functions as appeasement and merit-making—mitigating fear/inauspiciousness and increasing pitṛ-anugraha; neglect leaves anxiety/inauspicious signs unaddressed."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"When the mind is shaken by omens (svapna) or the sky by graha-doṣa, voluntary śrāddha re-centers the person in ṛta—turning disorder into offering.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"New harvest (navasasyāgama) as first-fruits offering logic; planetary affliction as ‘disturbed altar’ corrected by pitṛ-yajña and purification.","vedantic_connection":"Transforms reactive fear into sattvic action; remembrance of lineage and impermanence steadies the mind (citta-śuddhi) amid perceived cosmic turbulence."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"practical dharma (upāya)","core_concept":"Dharma provides constructive responses to uncertainty—ritual remembrance and giving convert liminal/ominous moments into merit.","practical_application":"When disturbed by omens or during seasonal transitions, choose a sattvic corrective: śrāddha/tarpaṇa, feeding brāhmaṇas/poor, and disciplined conduct."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Ethics","Cultural Heritage"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: seasonal-cultural setting
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.35-36 (fixed śrāddha times)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A household performs śrāddha as a remedial rite: ominous dream imagery fades, planets loom in the sky, and fresh sheaves of grain arrive—Varāha’s instruction anchors the scene.","item_prompts":["night scene with dream cloud motif","visible planets/constellations overhead","new grain sheaves and threshing floor","darbha, piṇḍa, water libation","Varāha teaching presence as protective anchor"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: dramatic sky band with grahas; lower band with harvest and śrāddha; Varāha calm at center; strong color contrasts to show ‘doṣa’ vs ‘śānti’.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-highlighted grahas in the sky; rich harvest motifs; central Varāha with embossed ornaments; ritual items rendered with metallic accents.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: gentle chiaroscuro for dream/omen mood; detailed grain textures; serene Varāha; balanced composition emphasizing restoration.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical rural courtyard with grain stacks; small graha symbols in the sky; dream vignette in a corner cloud; delicate narrative flow."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"protective, calming, remedial","suggested_raga":"Kāfi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"reassuring, steady, grounded"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic formulation of optional domestic rites (śrāddha) linked to perceived astral adversity, dream-omens, and agrarian seasonal markers, illustrating how ritual life was integrated with cosmological and agricultural calendars.
No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the reference is to general life-situations (astral affliction, omens, and harvest time) rather than a pilgrimage site.
The verse recommends a voluntary, intention-based observance—performing ancestral rites as a culturally sanctioned response to distress, ominous experiences, and seasonal transitions, emphasizing continuity of familial remembrance and social-ritual responsibility.
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.