Varaha Purana 190.64: Adhyaya 190, Shloka 64
Determinative Exposition on Śrāddha and the Pitṛyajña
Ancestral Offering
य एते पितरो देव दुःखिताजीरनपीडिताः ।। आगताः शरणं चात्र सोमं सोमेन सत्तम
ya ete pitaro deva duḥkhitājīranapīḍitāḥ || āgatāḥ śaraṇaṁ cātra somaṁ somena sattama
“Wahai Dewa, para Pitara (leluhur) ini menderita dan dihimpit oleh kelemahan/ketidakcernaan. Mereka datang ke sini memohon perlindungan, bersama Soma. Wahai yang terbaik dalam kalangan Soma,”
Brahmā (likely addressee-context; explicit speaker not given in this verse alone)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"Pitṛs afflicted and seeking refuge implies the necessity of proper śrāddha/tarpaṇa and Soma-linked offerings to relieve ancestral distress.","karmic_consequence":"Proper rites bring pitṛ-śānti and uplift; neglect results in continued pitṛ-duḥkha and obstruction to descendants’ welfare."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"ritual-ethics","core_concept":"Intergenerational responsibility: the living sustain the subtle well-being of pitṛs through prescribed rites.","practical_application":"Perform śrāddha, tarpaṇa, and food/water offerings with faith, especially when ancestral affliction is indicated in tradition."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Ancestral Rites","Health and Affliction"]
Primary Rasa: karuṇa
Secondary Rasa: śānta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 190.73-74 (Brahmā’s petition to Yogīśvara about pitṛs)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A group of suffering Pitṛs, aged and weakened, approach a divine assembly seeking refuge, with Soma present as a luminous attendant/deity of oblations.","item_prompts":["pitṛs with austere, faded radiance","gestures of supplication (añjali)","Soma as moonlike figure or vessel of soma","ritual setting with kuśa grass and offering implements"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: solemn pitṛs in muted tones, Soma with cool white-blue aura, temple-like ritual space, strong outlines and flat color fields.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central Soma with gold halo, pitṛs in reverent rows, ornate arch, gold-leaf highlights on vessels and ornaments.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: delicate shading, refined faces, subdued pathos, detailed ritual implements and textiles.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: lyrical courtly assembly, soft hills/sky backdrop, pitṛs as pale ascetics, Soma as moon-disc motif."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"supplicatory and grave","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"low, compassionate, weighty"}
FAQs
It documents the Purāṇic integration of pitṛ-ritual concerns with narrative theology, showing how ancestral well-being becomes a subject of cosmological explanation.
No specific terrestrial site is named here; the setting is continued from the Meru scene in the surrounding verses.
Care for ancestors and address inherited obligations through consultation and appropriate rites, framed as social-ritual responsibility.
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