Varaha Purana 13.44: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 44
The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times
Pūrva Bhāga · Śrāddha-vidhi (Pitṛ-tarpaṇa and ritual giving)
पानीयमप्यत्र तिलैर्विमिश्रं दद्यात्पितॄभ्यः प्रयतो मनुष्यः । श्राद्धं कृतं तेन समाः सहस्रं रहस्यमेतत् पितरो वदन्ति ॥ १३.४४ ॥
pānīyam apy atra tilair vimiśraṁ dadyāt pitṛbhyaḥ prayato manuṣyaḥ | śrāddhaṁ kṛtaṁ tena samāḥ sahasraṁ rahasyam etat pitaro vadanti || 13.44 ||
pAnIyamapyatra tilairvimishraM dadyAtpitRRibhyaH prayato manuShyaH | shrAddhaM kRRitaM tena samAHsahastraM rahasyametat pitaro vadanti || 13.44 ||
Di sini juga, seorang yang berdisiplin hendaklah mempersembahkan kepada para Pitṛ air yang dicampur biji wijen (tila). Para Pitṛ mengatakan bahawa dengan perbuatan ini, śrāddha seakan-akan telah dilakukan selama seribu tahun—itulah ajaran rahsia yang diwariskan.
Sandhi Notes
- pānīyam apy → pānīyam api
- tilair vimiśram (no further sandhi)
- dadyāt pitṛbhyaḥ
- rahasyam etat (no sandhi)
Varāha
Curious
What simple offering most effectively pleases the Pitṛs, and what is its extraordinary fruit?
Remembrance and repayment (ṛṇa) to ancestors is dharma; sincerity and purity of conduct empower simple offerings.
Perform tila-mixed water offerings with cleanliness, restraint, and focused intention, especially on prescribed Pitṛ times.
Tila functions as a ritual ‘carrier’ (dravya) that stabilizes offering across time; the ‘thousand-year’ claim signals the trans-temporal reach of properly consecrated yajña-dravya.
Water as āhuti-like flow; sesame as seed of continuity (vaṃśa-smṛti) linking descendants to Pitṛ-loka—yajña as a bridge across realms.
Śraddhā and saṅkalpa refine karma; a small act, when aligned with dharma and offered selflessly, yields disproportionate fruit (niyama + bhāva > quantity).
Offer water (tarpaṇa) mixed with sesame (tila) to the ancestors with discipline (prayata); this is taught as a highly efficacious substitute/extension of śrāddha.
Proper tila-tarpaṇa yields Pitṛ satisfaction equivalent to ‘a thousand years’ of śrāddha-benefit; omission loses this amplified ancestral merit and support.
Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.45-47 (supreme times and fruits for Pitṛ rites)
FAQs
It preserves a concise Purāṇic formulation of pitṛ-tarpaṇa (offering water to ancestors), reflecting the wider Dharmaśāstra-era ritual vocabulary and the cultural continuity of śrāddha-related practices.
No specific toponym is stated in this verse; the term atra (“here”) refers to the immediately discussed ritual or setting in the surrounding passage rather than naming a distinct site.
The verse emphasizes disciplined, intentional giving (prayataḥ) and remembrance of ancestors through a simple, non-extravagant offering (water mixed with sesame), framed as a culturally valued act of continuity and obligation.
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