Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Agastya’s Origin

Devanagari script

सप्तैव लोकानाप्नोति सप्तार्घान् यः प्रयच्छति यावदायुश्च यः कुर्यात् परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति //

Transliteration

saptaiva lokānāpnoti saptārghān yaḥ prayacchati yāvadāyuśca yaḥ kuryāt paraṃ brahmādhigacchati //

Translation

He who offers arghya seven times attains the seven worlds; and he who performs it throughout his lifespan ultimately reaches the Supreme Brahman.

Word by Word

• सप्त (sapta): seven

• एव (eva): indeed/only

• लोकान् (lokān): worlds/realms

• आप्नोति (āpnoti): attains/reaches

• सप्तार्घान् (saptārghān): seven arghya-offerings (ritual oblations of water with reverence)

• यः (yaḥ): whoever/he who

• प्रयच्छति (prayacchati): gives/offers

• यावदायुश् (yāvad-āyuḥ): for as long as life lasts/throughout one’s lifetime

• च (ca): and

• कुर्यात् (kuryāt): should do/performs

• परम् (param): supreme/highest

• ब्रह्म (brahma): Brahman, the Absolute

• अधिगच्छति (adhigacchati): attains/realizes.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within the Matsya Purana’s dāna-vidhi discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahman
• Sapta Lokas

Tags

• Dāna
• Arghya
• Punya
• Ritual
• Moksha

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it emphasizes a dharmic ritual (arghya) whose merit spans the cosmic hierarchy of the seven worlds, implying a universe structured in multiple lokas rather than focusing on dissolution.

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

It frames arghya as a lifelong discipline: a householder (and by extension a king as chief householder) should sustain daily reverential offerings, gaining worldly merit (loka-attainment) and ultimately spiritual liberation (Brahman-realization).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights the potency of repeated arghya—formal water offering with reverence—often performed to deities, sages, or the Sun; no Vastu or temple-construction rule is stated, but it supports the broader Matsya Purana ritual framework used alongside temple worship.