Varaha Purana 13.54: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 54

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Devanagari script

अन्नेन वा यथाशक्त्या कालेऽस्मिन् भक्तिनम्रधीः । भोजयिष्यति विप्राग्र्यांस्तन्मात्रविभवो नरः ॥ १३.५४ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.54

Transliteration

annena vā yathāśaktyā kāle 'smin bhaktinamradhīḥ | bhojayiṣyati viprāgryāṁs tanmātravibhavo naraḥ || 13.54 ||

Translation

ଏହି ସମୟରେ ଭକ୍ତିରେ ନମ୍ର ବୁଦ୍ଧି ଥିବା ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ନିଜ ଶକ୍ତିଅନୁସାରେ, ଯେତେ ଧନସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ଅଛି ସେତେ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ, ଅନ୍ନଦ୍ୱାରା ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନଙ୍କୁ ଭୋଜନ କରାଇବ।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• अन्नेन: with food
• अन्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्यसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यथाशक्त्या: according to one’s capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; अर्थे—‘according to ability’

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this (time)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भक्तिनम्रधीः: one whose mind is humble with devotion
• भक्तिनम्रधीः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + namra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘भक्त्या नम्रा धीः यस्य सः’

• भोजयिष्यति: will feed
• भोजयिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) + लृट् (Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विप्राग्र्यान्: excellent Brahmins
• विप्राग्र्यान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + agrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष—‘श्रेष्ठा विप्राः’

• तन्मात्रविभवः: having only that much means
• तन्मात्रविभवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक) + vibhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘तत्-मात्रः विभवः यस्य’ (limited means)

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Ethics
• Vaiṣṇavism
• Dharmaśāstra-adjacent norms

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a common Purāṇic ethical theme: merit is associated with hospitality and giving, but explicitly calibrated to personal capacity (yathāśaktyā), indicating a normative social ethic rather than an absolute economic requirement.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse fragment; it is a general ethical injunction rather than a site-specific māhātmya passage.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

To offer food as a form of charitable hospitality to exemplary recipients (viprāgryān), doing so with a humble disposition and in proportion to one’s available means.