Varaha Purana 14.48 — Adhyaya 14, Shloka 48
Ritual Procedure for Śrāddha: Sequence, Eligibility, and Offerings to Ancestors
सहस्रस्यापि विप्राणां योगी चेत् पुरतः स्थितः । सर्वान् भोक्तॄंस्तारयति यजमानं तथा द्विज ॥ १४.४८ ॥
sahasrasyāpi viprāṇāṁ yogī cet purataḥ sthitaḥ | sarvān bhoktṝṁstārayati yajamānaṁ tathā dvija || 14.48 ||
వెయ్యి మంది విప్రులలోనూ ముందుగా ఒక యోగి నిలిచి ఉంటే, అతడు భోజనముచేసే వారందరినీ మరియు యజమానునీ కూడా, ఓ ద్విజా, తరింపజేస్తాడు.
Varāha (default speaker per dialogue framework; explicit speaker not given in the fragment)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"shraddha","instruction_summary":"In śrāddha/feeding rites, the presence of a realized yogin (placed foremost) elevates and benefits all diners and the yajamāna.","karmic_consequence":"Honoring a yogin as foremost amplifies merit and salvific benefit for participants; ignoring spiritual hierarchy/fitness of recipients reduces fruit and may incur ritual deficiency (doṣa)."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"soteriology through saṅga (association)","core_concept":"Contact with realized persons transmits uplift; spiritual qualification (adhikāra) matters more than sheer numbers.","practical_application":"When performing śrāddha/dāna/feeding, prioritize inviting and honoring disciplined, self-controlled practitioners; cultivate satsanga as a multiplier of merit."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual Culture","Soteriology"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 14.14.47 (timing) → 14.14.48 (recipient/lead presence) as complementary conditions of efficacy
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A śrāddha/feeding assembly of many brāhmaṇas with one yogin seated foremost; subtle radiance from the yogin symbolizing ‘tāraṇa’ (carrying across) of all present and the yajamāna.","item_prompts":["row of seated brāhmaṇas","foremost yogin with matted hair/ascetic marks","yajamāna offering water/food","aura/light motif indicating spiritual uplift"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized banquet row; yogin foremost with calm aura; yajamāna in respectful posture; warm earth tones.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central yogin with gold aura; symmetrical seated diners; ornate vessels; rich textile patterns.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: refined faces and gestures; soft halo around yogin; detailed ritual utensils.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate courtyard scene; yogin foremost under a canopy; delicate pastel palette; emphasis on devotional respect."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"reverent and affirmative","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"warm, declarative"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic valuation of ascetic-yogic authority within or alongside ritual settings, indicating how later Sanskrit traditions often integrate renunciant ideals (yogin) with sacrificial and communal religious culture (yajamāna and participants).
No geographic place-name appears in this verse; the content is primarily social-ritual and soteriological rather than topographical.
The verse emphasizes the perceived transformative efficacy of a realized practitioner (yogin) for the wider community, framing spiritual benefit as something that can extend to ritual participants and the patron through association and proper leadership.
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