Varaha Purana 13.16: Adhyaya 13, Shloka 16

The Genealogy of the Pitṛs and the Determination of Śrāddha Times

Devanagari script

ते च वैमानिकाः सर्वे ब्रह्मणः सप्त मानसाः । तत् पिण्डदानं मन्त्रोक्तं प्रपश्यन्तो व्यवस्थिताः ॥ १३.१६ ॥

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 13.16

Transliteration

te ca vaimānikāḥ sarve brahmaṇaḥ sapta mānasāḥ | tat piṇḍadānaṃ mantroktaṃ prapaśyanto vyavasthitāḥ || 13.16 ||

Translation

而所有那些天界众生（vaimānika）——梵天的七位意生子——皆肃然侍立，注视着依诸咒语所行的 piṇḍa（团食供献）之仪。

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Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• वैमानिकाः: celestial beings (vimāna-dwellers)
• वैमानिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैमानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्त (अव्यय/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक अव्यय (numeral indeclinable)

• मानसाः: mind-born
• मानसाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• पिण्डदानम्: piṇḍa-offering
• पिण्डदानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (piṇḍa-dāna = offering of rice-balls), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• मन्त्रोक्तम्: enjoined by mantra
• मन्त्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्र + उक्त (प्रातिपदिक; उक्त = √वच् क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (mantra-ukta = prescribed/said in mantra), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• प्रपश्यन्तः: observing / seeing
• प्रपश्यन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √पश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• व्यवस्थिताः: standing firm / duly positioned
• व्यवस्थिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle; 'being stationed/settled'), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

Speaker

Varāha (default dialogue framework; speaker not explicit in fragment)

Tags

• Classical Literature
• Purāṇic Studies
• Vaishnavism
• Sanskrit Philology
• Ritual Theory

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It situates piṇḍadāna (ancestral offering) within a Purāṇic ritual framework, emphasizing mantra-prescribed performance and portraying cosmological witnesses (Brahmā’s mind-born sons), a common narrative device used to authorize and contextualize rites in classical Sanskrit literature.

Which geographic location is identified?

No specific geographic toponym appears in this verse; it focuses on ritual action and celestial observers rather than a named pilgrimage site or region.

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse underscores procedural integrity in cultural rites: offerings should be carried out according to established mantra-instructions, reflecting an ethic of careful stewardship of inherited ceremonial practices.