Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Hiranyakashipu’s Boons

Devanagari script

भगवन्सर्वभूतानाम् आदिकर्ता स्वयं प्रभुः स्रष्टा त्वं हव्यकव्यानाम् अव्यक्तप्रकृतिर् बुधः //

Transliteration

bhagavansarvabhūtānām ādikartā svayaṃ prabhuḥ sraṣṭā tvaṃ havyakavyānām avyaktaprakṛtir budhaḥ //

Translation

O Blessed Lord, You alone are the primal maker of all beings, the sovereign by Your own nature. You are the creator even of the offerings—those made into the sacred fire and those presented to the ancestors; the wise know You as the unmanifest primal Nature (the subtle source of creation).

Word by Word

• bhagavan: O Lord, the Blessed One

• sarva-bhūtānām: of all beings

• ādikartā: the first/primal maker

• svayam: by Yourself/alone

• prabhuḥ: sovereign, Lord

• sraṣṭā: creator

• tvam: You

• havya-kavyānām: of havya (oblations to gods through fire) and kavya (rites/offerings to Pitṛs/ancestors)

• avyakta-prakṛtiḥ: unmanifest primordial nature/source

• budhaḥ: the wise (one)/the learned know (as).

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (in praise of Lord Matsya/Vishnu as the Supreme)

Entities Mentioned

• Bhagavan (Lord Vishnu/Matsya)
• Havya (fire oblations to Devas)
• Kavya (ancestral offerings to Pitrs)

Tags

• Creation
• Theology
• Ritual
• Havya-Kavya
• Prakriti

FAQs

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

It identifies the Lord as the primal source behind all beings and even behind the sacrificial system, describing Him as the unmanifest primal nature from which manifestation arises—an idea used in Purāṇic accounts of creation and re-creation after pralaya.

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

By naming havya and kavya, it underscores the householder’s and king’s obligation to sustain dharma through yajña (offerings to the Devas) and śrāddha/tarpaṇa (rites to the ancestors), seeing these duties as rooted in the divine order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is explicit: it frames both fire-offerings (havya) and ancestral rites (kavya) as divinely grounded, supporting Matsya Purana–style guidance on correct sacrificial and śrāddha procedures even when no architectural details are stated.