Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — Rites for Consecrating and Celebrating Trees

Devanagari script

*ऋषय ऊचुः पादपानां विधिं सूत यथावद्विस्तराद्वद विधिना केन कर्तव्यं पादपोद्यापनं बुधैः //

Transliteration

*ṛṣaya ūcuḥ pādapānāṃ vidhiṃ sūta yathāvadvistarādvada vidhinā kena kartavyaṃ pādapodyāpanaṃ budhaiḥ //

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: „O Sūta, lege uns der rechten Ordnung gemäß und ausführlich die vorgeschriebenen Regeln über die Bäume dar. Durch welches rituelle Verfahren sollen die Verständigen die Einsetzung/Weihe eines Baumes (pādapa-udyāpana) vollziehen?“

Word by Word

• ṛṣayaḥ: the sages

• ūcuḥ: said

• pādapānām: of trees

• vidhim: rule, ordinance, prescribed procedure

• sūta: O Sūta (the narrator)

• yathāvat: properly, correctly

• vistarāt: in detail

• vada: speak, tell

• vidhinā: by (what) rite/procedure

• kena: by which

• kartavyam: is to be done/should be performed

• pādapa-udyāpanam: the raising/establishing and ritual consecration of a tree (tree-planting rite)

• budhaiḥ: by the wise/learned.

Speaker

• The sages (Ṛṣis) addressing Sūta

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• Ṛṣis

Tags

• Vastuvidya
• Ritual
• Tree-planting
• Dharma
• Sacred ecology

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it introduces a practical dharmic topic—how to ritually establish and consecrate trees—showing the Purana’s focus on sustaining life and merit through prescribed rites.

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

It frames tree-planting as a regulated, merit-producing duty: householders and rulers alike are expected to support public welfare through dharmic acts such as establishing trees/groves, done according to proper ritual procedure.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key ritual term is pādapodyāpana—an establishment/consecration rite for trees—suggesting that, like temples and images, trees and plantations can be installed with formal procedure within Matsya Purana’s Vastu/ritual framework.