Varaha Purana 180.46 — Adhyaya 180, Shloka 46
The Glory of Dhruva-Tīrtha: Rules of Ancestor Libations and Śrāddha, and the Consequences of Lineage-Continuity
एवं मातामहः शर्म गोत्रे पितामहस्तथा ॥ ऊर्ध्वं पितृभ्यो ये चेह ते पितर इहोच्यते
evaṁ mātāmahaḥ śarmā gotre pitāmahastathā || ūrdhvaṁ pitṛbhyo ye ceha te pitara ihocyate
ดังนี้จึงเอ่ยนามตาของมารดาโดยใช้ชื่อ “ศรฺมนฺ” และเช่นเดียวกันเอ่ยนามปู่ฝ่ายบิดาพร้อมโคตระ ผู้ที่อยู่เหนือบรรพชนชั้นใกล้ และผู้ที่ถูกกล่าวถึงในพิธีนี้ เรียกว่า “ปิตระห์” ในบริบทนี้
Varāha (default speaker framework)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"instructor","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
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":"In śrāddha, recite maternal and paternal grandfather names with gotra; understand that ‘pitaraḥ’ here denotes the addressed ancestral elders beyond the immediate generation.","karmic_consequence":"Accurate naming and gotra-identification properly ‘targets’ the offering, ensuring pitṛ-tṛpti and lineage continuity; errors/misidentification are treated as misdirected offerings and reduce 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":"dharma-ontology (relational)","core_concept":"Dharma operates through correctly recognized relations (bandhu); naming and gotra are ritual ‘addresses’ that connect giver and recipient across generations.","practical_application":"Maintain accurate family records (names/gotra) for śrāddha; treat terminology (‘pitaraḥ’) as context-bound to the rite’s intended recipients."}
Subject Matter: ["Ritual Practice","Kinship/Lineage","Cultural Heritage"]
Primary Rasa: śānta
Secondary Rasa: None
Type: domestic ritual space
Related Themes: Varāha Purāṇa 180 (sections enumerating ancestors and offerings by triads)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A ritual reciter enumerates ancestors—maternal and paternal grandfathers—while a scribe-like family elder holds a palm-leaf genealogy, emphasizing gotra and names.","item_prompts":["palm-leaf manuscript/genealogy","kuśa ring","offering plate","water libation (arghya)","two directional gestures indicating maternal/paternal lines"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: two seated figures (priest and householder) with palm-leaf record, ritual items arranged symmetrically, subdued ancestral silhouettes.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: ornate framing, gold accents on manuscript edges and vessels, central figure pointing as names are recited, stylized pitṛ-halos.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: elegant domestic shrine, fine jewelry minimal, emphasis on calm instruction and textual precision (manuscript detail).","pahari_prompt":"Pahari: intimate family ritual with a genealogy scroll, crisp textiles, small altar, ancestors as faint cloud-forms above."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Śrī","pace":"steady","voice_tone":"teacherly, articulate on kinship terms and gotra"}
FAQs
It preserves how lineage identifiers (gotra) and conventional name-suffixes (e.g., Śarman) functioned in formal ritual address, reflecting social-ritual organization.
No location is mentioned; the verse concerns kinship classification and ritual address.
It underscores respectful, accurate identification of recipients in ancestral rites—treating lineage memory as a disciplined cultural practice.
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