Shloka 52

Matsya Purana — Catalogue of the Eighteen Puranas

Devanagari script

विषुवे हेममत्स्येन धेन्वा चैव समन्वितम् यो दद्यात्पृथिवी तेन दत्ता भवति चाखिला //

Transliteration

viṣuve hemamatsyena dhenvā caiva samanvitam yo dadyātpṛthivī tena dattā bhavati cākhilā //

Translation

Whoever, on the day of Viṣuva, gives in charity a symbolic ‘earth’ gift accompanied by a golden fish and a cow—by him the entire earth is deemed to have been given.

Word by Word

• विषुवे (viṣuve): on Viṣuva, the equinox/solstitial junction day

• हेम-मत्स्येन (hema-matsyena): with a golden fish (gold fish image/ornament)

• धेन्वा (dhenvā): with a cow

• चैव (caiva): and indeed

• समन्वितम् (samanvitam): accompanied/combined with

• यः (yaḥ): whoever

• दद्यात् (dadyāt): should give, donates

• पृथिवी (pṛthivī): the earth (also a ‘bhū-dāna’ representation)

• तेन (tena): by him/through that person

• दत्ता (dattā): given

• भवति (bhavati): becomes/is regarded as

• च (ca): and

• अखिला (akhilā): whole, entire.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu on dāna and ritual merit)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Viṣuva
• Dhenu (cow)
• Pṛthivī (Earth)

Tags

• Dāna
• Viṣuva
• Ritual Merit
• Cow Gift
• Golden Fish

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses the symbol of ‘the earth’ (pṛthivī) in charity, teaching that a properly constituted Viṣuva gift yields merit equivalent to donating the whole world.

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

It frames dāna as a core dharma: a householder (and especially a king who possesses resources) should perform time-specific, ritually complete gifts—here, the Viṣuva donation—so that limited offerings gain expansive religious merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it concerns Viṣuva-kāla dāna and symbolic ‘bhū-dāna’ (earth-gift) augmented by a golden fish and a cow—indicating prescribed components that make the offering ‘complete’ and thus maximally meritorious.