Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha

Devanagari script

चतुर्थस्य पुनः कार्यं न कदाचिदतो भवेत् ततः पितृत्वमापन्नः सर्वतस्तुष्टिमागतः //

Transliteration

caturthasya punaḥ kāryaṃ na kadācidato bhavet tataḥ pitṛtvamāpannaḥ sarvatastuṣṭimāgataḥ //

Translation

But thereafter, no further obligation remains for the fourth; then, having attained the status of a pitṛ (venerable ancestor), he becomes satisfied in every respect.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थस्य: of the fourth

• पुनः: again/further

• कार्यं: duty/obligatory act

• न: not

• कदाचित्: at any time

• अतः: after this/thereafter

• भवेत्: would be/should arise

• ततः: then/thereupon

• पितृत्वम्: the state of being a father/ancestorhood (pitṛ-status)

• आपन्नः: having attained/reached

• सर्वतः: in all ways/from every side

• तुष्टिम्: satisfaction/contentment

• आगतः: has obtained/has come to.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution typical to early Matsya Purana discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Fatherhood (pitṛtva)

Tags

• Dharma
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Ritual duty
• Householder ethics

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it focuses on dharma—specifically the completion of an obligation that culminates in the attainment of pitṛ-status and resulting satisfaction.

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

It implies a graded set of obligations (often read as stages/roles within dharma); once the prescribed duty for the ‘fourth’ is fulfilled, no extra burden remains, and the person is regarded as having fulfilled fatherly/ancestral responsibility—an ideal relevant to householders and, by extension, rulers as exemplars of dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual-ethical rather than architectural: it emphasizes completion of prescribed rites/duties connected with pitṛ-satisfaction (commonly associated with śrāddha/tarpaṇa frameworks), after which the obligation is considered concluded.