Varaha Purana 13.47 — Adhyaya 13, Shloka 47
The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times
तत्रैव चेद् भाद्रपदास्तु पूर्वाः काले तदा यैः क्रियते पितृॄभ्यः । श्राद्धं परा तृप्तिमुपेत्य तेन युगं समग्रं पितरः स्वपन्ति ॥ श्राद्धं तु यत्पक्षमुदाहरन्ति तत्पैतृकं मुनिगणाः प्रवदन्ति तुष्टिम् ॥ १३.४७ ॥
tatraiva ced bhādrapadāstu pūrvāḥ kāle tadā yaiḥ kriyate pitṛbhyaḥ | śrāddhaṃ parā tṛptim upetya tena yugaṃ samagraṃ pitaraḥ svapanti || śrāddhaṃ tu yatpakṣam udāharanti tatpaitṛkaṃ munigaṇāḥ pravadanti tuṣṭim || 13.47 ||
หากในกาลเดียวกันนั้นเป็นปักษ์ต้นของเดือนภาทรปทะ (ปักษ์สว่าง) แล้ว ผู้ใดประกอบศราทธะแด่ปิตฤ ผู้นั้นย่อมทำให้ปิตฤบรรลุความอิ่มเอมอย่างยิ่ง และปิตฤย่อมพักสงบตลอดหนึ่งยุคโดยครบถ้วน. อีกทั้งปักษ์ที่เขาเรียกว่า “ศราทธะปักษ์” นั่นเอง เหล่ามุนีเรียกว่า “ไพตฤกปักษ์” และกล่าวว่าเป็นปักษ์อันก่อให้เกิดความพอใจ.
Varāha (default dialogue framework; explicit speaker not stated in the excerpt)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"curious","key_question":"Why is the Bhādrapada period called the ‘paitṛka’ (ancestral) fortnight, and what is the ultimate fruit of śrāddha performed then?"}
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":"When the (earlier/appropriate) Bhādrapada fortnight—identified as the paitṛka śrāddha-pakṣa—arrives, śrāddha performed then grants complete Pitṛ satisfaction, causing them to ‘rest’ for an entire yuga.","karmic_consequence":"Observing the paitṛka pakṣa yields maximal ancestral contentment and enduring blessings for the family; neglect results in missed peak satisfaction and weaker fulfillment of Pitṛ-ṛṇa."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":true,"symbolic_interpretation":"The ‘paitṛka pakṣa’ frames time as a sacred corridor between worlds; ritual remembrance becomes a cosmic maintenance act, echoing the Lord’s sustaining function.","yajna_varaha_imagery":"Pitṛs ‘sleeping’ for a yuga signifies complete replenishment through offerings—like a yajña that fully ‘satiates’ the intended deities.","vedantic_connection":"Smṛti (remembrance) and gratitude purify the doer; honoring Pitṛs supports dharmic order and reduces egoic isolation by acknowledging dependence."}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"dharma of remembrance","core_concept":"Ritual remembrance is an ethical act that sustains unseen relationships; fulfillment of Pitṛ-ṛṇa stabilizes personal and social dharma.","practical_application":"Treat the paitṛka fortnight as non-negotiable for śrāddha; perform rites with sincerity, charity, and restraint, aiming at ‘parā tṛpti’ rather than display."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Calendar","Ancestral Rites (Śrāddha)","Ethics of Remembrance","Dharmaśāstra-linked Practice"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: karuṇa
Type: ritual_calendar_period
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.43 (special times); Varāha Purāṇa 13.13.44 (tila-tarpaṇa efficacy)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A seasonal śrāddha observance during the paitṛka fortnight: family performs rites; sages in the background affirm the designation; Pitṛs appear fully satisfied, reclining in serene sleep across a vast yuga-symbolic backdrop (cosmic clock).","item_prompts":["calendar/fortnight marker labeled ‘paitṛka’","śrāddha offerings (piṇḍa, water, lamps)","sages (munigaṇa) witnessing","Pitṛs resting on cloud-like couch","cosmic time motif (wheel/kalpa clock)"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: layered composition—foreground śrāddha rite, midground sages, upper register Pitṛs in restful repose, bold outlines and warm palette.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: gold-leaf cosmic wheel behind resting Pitṛs, richly ornamented sages, embossed offerings, deep jewel tones.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: balanced tripartite scene with refined expressions of satisfaction and repose, subtle time-wheel iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: narrative festival-like śrāddha season scene, sages under trees, Pitṛs in cloud pavilion, delicate kalacakra motif in sky."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"solemn, culminating, benedictive","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"slow","voice_tone":"deep, resonant, concluding emphasis on ‘yugaṃ samagram’ and ‘paitṛkam’"}
FAQs
It reflects a Purāṇic articulation of calendrical ritual practice—linking a specific lunar fortnight (pakṣa) with śrāddha—showing how Purāṇas transmit and popularize Dharmaśāstra-adjacent norms through narrative discourse.
No specific geographic site is named in this verse; the emphasis is on ritual timing within the lunar month of Bhādrapada rather than on a pilgrimage location.
The verse promotes the cultural-ethical duty of remembrance and care for ancestors through properly timed śrāddha, presenting it as a means of ensuring their well-being (tṛpti) within the text’s moral framework.
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