Matsya Purana — The Tale of Brahmadatta: Past-life Memory, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

प्रयच्छन्ति सुतान्राज्यं नृणां प्रीताः पितामहाः य इदं पितृमाहात्म्यं ब्रह्मदत्तस्य च द्विजाः //

Transliteration

prayacchanti sutānrājyaṃ nṛṇāṃ prītāḥ pitāmahāḥ ya idaṃ pitṛmāhātmyaṃ brahmadattasya ca dvijāḥ //

Translation

Wohlgefällig gestimmt verleihen die Pitṛs (Ahnen) den Menschen Söhne und Herrschaft. O ihr zweimal Geborenen, dies ist die verkündete Größe der Pitṛs, wie sie in der Erzählung von Brahmadatta gelehrt wird.

Word by Word

• prayacchanti: bestow, grant

• sutān: sons, offspring

• rājyaṃ: kingship, sovereignty, dominion

• nṛṇām: of men, for human beings

• prītāḥ: pleased, satisfied

• pitāmahāḥ: grandfathers/ancestors (Pitṛs)

• yaḥ: which/that (teaching)

• idam: this

• pitṛ-māhātmyaṃ: the glory/majesty of the Pitṛs (ancestor-veneration)

• brahmadattasya: of Brahmadatta

• ca: and/also

• dvijāḥ: O twice-born (Brahmin sages)

Speaker

• Suta (Purāṇic narrator) addressing the twice-born sages (dvijāḥ)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Brahmadatta
• Dvijas

Tags

• Pitru Mahatmya
• Shraddha
• Ancestral rites
• Punya-phala
• Kingship

FAQs

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

Nothing directly about Pralaya is stated here; the verse instead teaches karmic results (phala) of honoring the Pitṛs—ancestral satisfaction leading to worldly blessings like offspring and sovereignty.

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

It reinforces the householder-kingly duty of Pitṛ-yajña (ancestor rites): by śrāddha, tarpaṇa, and remembrance of Pitṛ-māhātmya, one sustains lineage (sons) and social order (rājya), key aims for both gṛhasthas and rulers.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it highlights the efficacy of Pitṛ-related observances (śrāddha/ancestor veneration), presenting them as a means to secure progeny and political stability.