Varaha Purana 174.17: Adhyaya 174, Shloka 17
The Sanctifying Power of River Confluences: Release from the Preta-State and the Rite of Śravaṇa Dvādaśī with Vāmana Worship
किं तत्कारणमेतद्धि यूयं सर्वे सनामकाः ॥ प्रेत उवाच ॥ अहं स्वादु सदाश्नामि दद्मि पर्युषितं द्विजे
kiṃ tatkāraṇam etad dhi yūyaṃ sarve sanāmakāḥ || preta uvāca || ahaṃ svādu sadāśnāmi dadmi paryuṣitaṃ dvije
“เหตุใดจึงเป็นเช่นนี้—ที่พวกท่านทั้งหลายมีนามเช่นนั้น?” เปรตกล่าวว่า: “ข้าพเจ้ากินของอร่อยเสมอ แต่ให้แก่พราหมณ์ (ทวิชะ) เป็นอาหารค้างคืนที่บูดชืดแล้ว”
Preta
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":true,"speaker_role":"observer","key_question":"What karmic cause explains the distinctive names/identities borne by these pretas?"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":true,"topic":"dana","instruction_summary":"Do not offer stale/leftover (paryuṣita) food to a Brāhmaṇa while keeping the best for oneself; dāna must be respectful and of fit quality.","karmic_consequence":"Disrespectful, inferior giving and selfish consumption lead to preta-state and a degrading afterlife identity marked by one’s vice."}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"karma-ethics","core_concept":"Intention and quality in giving determine karmic fruit; hypocrisy in hospitality becomes self-identifying bondage.","practical_application":"Serve guests/Brāhmaṇas first with fresh, suitable food; align private consumption with public generosity."}
Subject Matter: ["Ethics","Ritual economy","Karma theory"]
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: otherworld
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 174 (preta-nāma/karmaphala sequence)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A preta confesses his habit: he eats delicious food himself but hands a Brāhmaṇa stale food; the questioner confronts him about the cause of names.","item_prompts":["gaunt preta figure","simple hut/threshold","Brāhmaṇa with begging bowl","fresh dishes near the preta vs stale food offered","gesture of confession/explanation"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, earthy palette; expressive preta with hollow eyes; dignified Brāhmaṇa; clear contrast of fresh vs stale offerings; narrative panel composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold accents on vessels and Brāhmaṇa ornaments; central figures frontal; symbolic food plates highlighted; moral tableau.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework; subdued domestic interior; emphasis on facial expressions of shame and reproach.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style; small domestic courtyard; crisp storytelling details—two food portions, the act of giving, and the preta’s gauntness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"admonitory","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"grave, didactic"}
FAQs
It documents a normative ethic around hospitality and gifting, where the quality of food offered to a learned recipient is morally evaluated within Purāṇic social discourse.
None is named here; the verse is ethical and domestic in setting.
Do not reserve the best for oneself while offering inferior or stale provisions to others—especially in contexts framed as charitable or ritual giving.
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