Shloka 64

Matsya Purana — Catalogue of the Eighteen Puranas

Devanagari script

अष्टादशभ्यस्तु पृथक् पुराणं यत्प्रदिश्यते विजानीध्वं द्विजश्रेष्ठास् तदेतेभ्यो विनिर्गतम् //

Transliteration

aṣṭādaśabhyastu pṛthak purāṇaṃ yatpradiśyate vijānīdhvaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhās tadetebhyo vinirgatam //

Translation

O best of the twice-born, know that the Purāṇa taught as distinct from the eighteen has nonetheless issued forth from them, from that very Purāṇic tradition.

Word by Word

• अष्टादशभ्यः: from the eighteen (Puranas)

• तु: however/indeed

• पृथक्: separate/distinct

• पुराणम्: Purana

• यत्: which

• प्रदिश्यते: is indicated/taught/expounded

• विजानीध्वम्: know/understand (you all)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)

• तत्: that

• एतेभ्यः: from these

• विनिर्गतम्: has come forth/emerged/originated

Speaker

• Suta (Pauranika narrator addressing the assembled Brahmins/Ṛṣis)

Entities Mentioned

• Aṣṭādaśa-Purāṇas
• Dvija (Brahmin sages)

Tags

• Purana classification
• Textual lineage
• Mahapurana tradition
• Scriptural authority
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it clarifies Purāṇic textual lineage—how a “separate” Purāṇa is still rooted in the established eighteen-Purāṇa tradition.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma-instructions in recognized scriptural transmission: royal and household duties taught elsewhere in the Purāṇa are presented as part of an authoritative Purāṇic corpus rather than an isolated teaching.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No specific Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is methodological—Vāstu, iconography, and rites taught later are framed as emanating from the broader Purāṇic canon, strengthening their traditional legitimacy.