Varaha Purana 190.92 — Adhyaya 190, Shloka 92
Determinative Exposition on Śrāddha and the Pitṛyajña
Ancestral Offering
दूराध्वानं गता ये च तत्र कर्मोपजीविनः ॥ रसविक्रयिणश्चैव शैलूषस्तिलविक्रयी
dūrādhvānaṁ gatā ye ca tatra karmopajīvinaḥ || rasavikrayiṇaś caiva śailūṣas tilavikrayī
Mereka yang menempuh perjalanan jauh dan mencari nafkah di sana dengan bekerja; para penjual rasa (perisa/cecair berperisa); seorang śailūṣa (pelakon); dan penjual bijan—semuanya dinyatakan tidak layak.
Varāha
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":true,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"Ongoing instruction to Vasundharā; no physical Varāha action"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"attentive/receiving detailed categories","key_question":"Which mobile professions and performers/traders are considered ritually unsuitable for śrāddha feeding?"}
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":"Exclude from śrāddha those who travel far for livelihood, sellers of rasa, actors (śailūṣa), and sesame sellers.","karmic_consequence":"Including them is implied to introduce impurity/distraction into the rite and reduce its pitṛ-directed fruit; exclusion safeguards merit."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"discipline of intention (saṅkalpa)","core_concept":"Ritual acts are framed as sensitive to the moral/occupational ‘saṅga’ (associations) of participants; mobility and performance/trade are portrayed as destabilizing ritual steadiness.","practical_application":"For śrāddha, cultivate a controlled, sāttvika environment—select stable, ritually aligned recipients and minimize distracting/impure associations."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Studies","Social History","Economic History"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: bībhatsa
Type: None
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 190.98–101, 190.103 (same śrāddha purity thread; rājasa/impure influences)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Varāha’s discourse continues; symbolic figures of traveler, actor, and merchants appear as examples of those to be excluded from the śrāddha setting.","item_prompts":["traveler with staff/bundle","actor with mask or stage prop","sesame sacks (tila)","spice/juice jars (rasa)","śrāddha implements in a calm corner"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: marginal vignettes of traveler/actor/merchants; central Varāha teaching Vasundharā; decorative borders; muted ritual objects.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf emphasis on divine figures; small narrative panels at bottom showing traveler/actor/tila seller; rich textiles and symmetry.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined depiction of occupational symbols (mask, sacks); gentle but clear separation from ritual space; soft shading.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: storybook-like mini-scenes around the main discourse; delicate props; airy palette; understated ritual tray."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory, orderly","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"clear, didactic, slightly cautioning"}
FAQs
It adds occupational and mobility-based categories to ritual exclusions, offering evidence for how travel and trade were conceptualized in ritual purity frameworks.
No specific location is named; 'dūrādhvāna' indicates long-distance travel rather than a place-name.
To follow the text’s stated restrictions on who should be included in śrāddha-feeding arrangements.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
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.