Varaha Purana 34.9: Adhyaya 34, Shloka 9

Account of the Origin of the Ancestors (Pitṛs) and the Regulations for Śrāddha Offerings

Pūrva Bhāga · Śrāddha–Pitṛkriyā (ancestral rites and ritual eligibility)

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणैरभ्यनुज्ञाताः शूद्राः स्वपितॄणामतः । तानेवार्चयतां सम्यग्विधिमन्त्रबहिष्कृताः ॥ ३४.९ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 34.9

Transliteration

brāhmaṇair abhyanujñātāḥ śūdrāḥ svapitṝṇām ataḥ | tān evārcayatāṃ samyag vidhimantrabahiṣkṛtāḥ || 34.9 ||

ITRANS transliteration

Translation

เมื่อได้รับอนุญาตจากพราหมณ์แล้ว ศูทรย่อมบูชาบรรพชนของตนได้; ขอให้บูชาบรรพชนเหล่านั้นโดยถูกต้อง แม้ถูกเว้นจากพิธีการตามแบบและมนตร์พระเวทก็ตาม।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)

• अभ्यनुज्ञाताः: permitted/authorized
• Type: Adjective
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—शूद्राः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: अभि + अनु + ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)

• शूद्राः: Shudras
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्वपितॄणाम्: of their own fathers/ancestors
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; स्व-शब्देन सम्बन्धः (one’s own)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Root: स्व + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• अतः: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: हेतुवाचक अव्यय (causal particle: therefore/from this)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)

• तान्: them
• Type: Noun
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• अर्चयताम्: let (them) worship
• Type: Verb
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आदेशार्थे
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)

• सम्यक्: properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Form: रीतिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: properly)
• Role: Prakara (प्रकार)
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)

• विधिमन्त्रबहिष्कृताः: excluded from the prescribed rites and mantras
• Type: Adjective
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—(शूद्राः); अर्थः—विधि-मन्त्रैः बहिष्कृताः (excluded from ritual mantras/procedure)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Root: विधि + मन्त्र + बहिष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)

Sandhi Notes

• ब्राह्मणैरभ्यनुज्ञाताः = ब्राह्मणैः + अभ्यनुज्ञाताः
• तानेवार्चयताम् = तान् + एव + अर्चयताम्
• सम्यग्विधि... = सम्यक् + विधि...
• स्वपितॄणाम् = स्व + पितॄणाम् (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker and setting

Shanta rasa

Speaker

Varāha

The teaching

Kind of teaching

Dharma-vidhi (adhikāra and niyama)

Subjects

EthicsRitual PracticeSocial History

Core idea

Ritual efficacy depends on adhikāra (eligibility) and prescribed means; devotion to ancestors is affirmed while Vedic-mantra domain is restricted.

In practice

Householders perform Pitṛ-arcana with appropriate permissions and non-vaidika formulas (e.g., namaskāra, offerings) without claiming śrauta status.

Dharma

Cross references

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Dharmaśāstra Interface
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It reflects a Purāṇic negotiation of ritual participation, indicating that ancestral observances could be acknowledged for Śūdras under brāhmaṇa authorization, while maintaining restrictions regarding Vedic mantras and certain formal ritual procedures.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic location is named in this verse; the focus is on ritual eligibility and method.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse emphasizes performing ancestral worship with correctness (samyak) within the boundaries of prescribed authorization and ritual constraints.