Matsya Purana — Sādhāraṇa Śrāddha: General Ancestral Rite, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

एताः सत्याशिषः सन्तु सन्त्वित्युक्तश्च तैः पुनः स्वस्तिवाचनकं कुर्यात् पिण्डानुद्धृत्य भक्तितः //

Transliteration

etāḥ satyāśiṣaḥ santu santvityuktaśca taiḥ punaḥ svastivācanakaṃ kuryāt piṇḍānuddhṛtya bhaktitaḥ //

Translation

Nachdem sie ihn erneut angesprochen haben: „Mögen diese Segenswünsche wahr sein; so sei es“, soll er sodann die glückverheißende Svasti-Rezitation (svasti) vollziehen. In Hingabe soll er die piṇḍas, die im śrāddha dargebrachten Reisbällchen, emporheben.

Word by Word

• etāḥ: these

• satyāśiṣaḥ: true blessings/benedictions

• santu: may they be

• santv iti: ‘so be it’

• uktaḥ: having been spoken/addressed

• ca: and

• taiḥ: by them

• punaḥ: again

• svasti-vācanakam: the utterance/recitation of auspicious words (svasti)

• kuryāt: should do/perform

• piṇḍān: the piṇḍas (rice-balls offered to ancestors)

• uddhṛtya: having lifted/taken up

• bhaktitaḥ: with devotion/faithfully.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Svasti (auspicious benediction)
• Piṇḍa (śrāddha offering)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Ritual procedure
• Dharma
• Manu discourse

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it is focused on śrāddha ritual sequencing—affirming blessings, reciting svasti, and then handling the piṇḍa offerings.

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

It reinforces pitṛ-dharma: a householder (and by extension a ruler setting social norms) should complete śrāddha properly—accepting/affirming blessings, performing auspicious recitations, and treating the offerings with devotion.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it specifies two key actions in śrāddha: svasti-vācana (auspicious benediction recitation) and the devoted lifting/handling of the piṇḍas, indicating orderly completion of the offering sequence.