Shloka 8

Matsya Purana — Ekoddiṣṭa Śrāddha

Devanagari script

तत एकादशाहे तु द्विजानेकादशैव तु क्षत्रादिः सूतकान्ते तु भोजयेदयुजो द्विजान् //

Transliteration

tata ekādaśāhe tu dvijānekādaśaiva tu kṣatrādiḥ sūtakānte tu bhojayedayujo dvijān //

Translation

Then, on the eleventh day, one should feed eleven Brahmins; and for a Kṣatriya and the other varṇas, at the conclusion of the period of birth-impurity (sūtaka), one should feed Brahmins who are without physical defects, that is, ritually fit.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• ekādaśāhe: on the eleventh day (after birth/impurity observance)

• tu: indeed

• dvijān: Brahmins/twice-born men

• ekādaśa: eleven

• eva: precisely/only

• kṣatrādiḥ: Kṣatriya and others (other varṇas)

• sūtakānte: at the end of sūtaka (birth-impurity period)

• bhojayet: should feed/offer a meal to

• ayujaḥ: not defective, unimpaired, ritually suitable (lit. not ‘crooked’/not deformed)

• dvijān: Brahmins

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Dvija (Brahmin)
• Kshatriya
• Sutaka (birth-impurity)

Tags

• Dharma
• Sutaka
• Aśauca
• Śrāddha
• Ritual purity

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it focuses on dharma concerning birth-impurity (sūtaka) and the prescribed feeding of Brahmins as a purificatory, merit-generating act.

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

It lays down a householder’s (and by extension a ruler’s) duty to observe sūtaka properly and to conclude it with sanctioned charity/feeding—specifically, feeding an appropriate number of Brahmins (eleven on the eleventh day) and ensuring the recipients are ritually fit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it prescribes the timing (eleventh day/end of sūtaka), the number (eleven Brahmins), and the qualification of recipients (ayuja—unimpaired/fit), forming part of the Matsya Purana’s purity and expiation framework.