Shloka 23

Matsya Purana — Genealogy and Classification of Sacred Fires

Devanagari script

अनिर्देश्यो ह्यहिर्बुध्न्यो बहिरन्ते तु दक्षिणौ पुत्रा ह्येते तु सर्वस्य उपस्थेया द्विजैः स्मृताः //

Transliteration

anirdeśyo hyahirbudhnyo bahirante tu dakṣiṇau putrā hyete tu sarvasya upastheyā dvijaiḥ smṛtāḥ //

Translation

Ahirbudhnya is indeed indescribable; and Bahiranta and Dakṣiṇa are his sons. These two are remembered by the twice-born as deities to be worshipped, being connected with the generative source of all.

Word by Word

• anirdeśyaḥ: indescribable, beyond definition

• hi: indeed

• ahirbudhnyaḥ: Ahirbudhnya (a Rudra/serpent-associated divine form)

• bahirantaḥ: Bahiranta (a named deity/personage)

• tu: and/but

• dakṣiṇau: Dakṣiṇa (name

• putrāḥ: sons

• hi: indeed

• ete: these

• tu: and

• sarvasya: of all, of the entire world

• upastheyāḥ: to be approached/worshipped (as worthy of reverential attendance)

• dvijaiḥ: by the twice-born (Brahmins and other initiated classes)

• smṛtāḥ: remembered, stated in tradition

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating Purāṇic tradition in the Matsya Purāṇa’s discursive style)

Entities Mentioned

• Ahirbudhnya
• Bahiranta
• Dakṣiṇa
• Dvijas (twice-born)

Tags

• Rudra-forms
• Devata-stuti
• Puranic theology
• Worship
• Names-and-epithets

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it points to cosmic governance through Rudra-linked deities (like Ahirbudhnya), who are often associated with deep foundational powers; the verse itself focuses on worship-worthy divine lineages rather than narrating Pralaya events.

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

It supports the dharmic duty of reverence (pūjā/upāsanā) toward recognized deities and sacred traditions; for householders and rulers, this translates into maintaining proper worship and honoring the learned (dvijas) who preserve such ritual knowledge.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is deity-recognition: Bahiranta and Dakṣiṇa are noted as ‘upastheyāḥ’—fit to be approached and worshipped—useful for structuring stuti, nyāsa, or deity-invocation lists that can later be integrated into temple worship sequences.