Matsya Purana — Pitṛ Worlds, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पुलहाङ्गजदायादा वैश्यास्तान्भावयन्ति च यत्र श्राद्धकृतः सर्वे पश्यन्ति युगपद्गताः //

Transliteration

pulahāṅgajadāyādā vaiśyāstānbhāvayanti ca yatra śrāddhakṛtaḥ sarve paśyanti yugapadgatāḥ //

Translation

Dort ehren und besänftigen auch die Vaiśyas—Nachkommen in der Linie Pulahas—die Pitṛs; und an jenem Ort schauen alle, die das śrāddha vollzogen haben, die Ahnenwesen, als wären sie im selben Augenblick gemeinsam eingetroffen.

Word by Word

• pulaha-aṅgaja-dāyādāḥ: heirs/descendants born of Pulaha’s lineage

• vaiśyāḥ: the Vaiśya class (householders engaged in trade/agriculture)

• tān: them (the Pitṛs/ancestral beings implied by context)

• bhāvayanti: honor, propitiate, satisfy (through offerings)

• ca: and

• yatra: where/at which place

• śrāddha-kṛtaḥ: those who have performed śrāddha

• sarve: all

• paśyanti: see, behold

• yugapat-gatāḥ: having come simultaneously / as if arriving together.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu on ritual dharma)

Entities Mentioned

• Pulaha
• Vaiśyas
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ-dharma
• Ritual
• Varṇa-dharma
• Ancestral rites

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it emphasizes the ritual principle that proper śrāddha can make the Pitṛs ‘present’ to the performer, highlighting the immediacy of ancestral fruition rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It supports gṛhastha-dharma: householders (explicitly including Vaiśyas) are obligated to maintain ancestral rites, and the text frames śrāddha as a practical duty whose result is direct ancestral satisfaction and perceived presence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it underscores śrāddha as a propitiatory act (bhāvana) that ‘brings’ the Pitṛs; the focus is on correct performance and its immediate efficacy, not on vāstu or temple-building rules.