Matsya Purana — Code of Conduct and Vow-Procedure for Courtesans, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

देवतानां पितॄणां च पुण्याहे समुपस्थिते गोभूहिरण्यधान्यानि प्रदेयानि स्वशक्तितः ब्राह्मणानां वरारोहाः कार्याणि वचनानि च //

Transliteration

devatānāṃ pitṝṇāṃ ca puṇyāhe samupasthite gobhūhiraṇyadhānyāni pradeyāni svaśaktitaḥ brāhmaṇānāṃ varārohāḥ kāryāṇi vacanāni ca //

Translation

দেবতা ও পিতৃকার্যের পুণ্যদিন উপস্থিত হলে, স্বশক্তি অনুসারে গাভী, ভূমি, স্বর্ণ ও ধান্য দান করা উচিত; আর হে বরারোহে, ব্রাহ্মণদের বাক্য ও নির্দেশও পালনীয়।

Word by Word

• devatānām: of the gods

• pitṝṇām: of the ancestors (manes)

• ca: and

• puṇyāhe: on an auspicious day/at the auspicious rite (puṇyāha)

• samupasthite: when it has arrived/present

• go: cows

• bhū: land

• hiraṇya: gold

• dhānyāni: grains/cereals

• pradeyāni: are to be given/should be donated

• svaśaktitaḥ: according to one’s own ability

• brāhmaṇānām: of/for the Brāhmaṇas

• varārohāḥ: O noble lady (vocative)

• kāryāṇi: should be done/fulfilled

• vacanāni: words, requests, injunctions

• ca: and.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu; vocative addressed as “varārohāḥ” indicates the instruction is framed to a noble listener in the discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Devas
• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas

Tags

• Dāna
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ-yajña
• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Puṇyāha

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on dharma in ritual time—how one should perform donations and honor Devas and Pitṛs on auspicious occasions.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It prescribes gṛhastha/royal responsibility: on puṇya-kālas one should donate key forms of wealth (cows, land, gold, grain) proportionate to capacity and respect Brāhmaṇical guidance—supporting social-religious order through dāna and ritual duty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is puṇyāha and Deva–Pitṛ observance: the verse highlights timely dāna and compliance with Brāhmaṇa prescriptions as integral to rites like Śrāddha and auspicious-day ceremonies, rather than Vāstu or temple construction.