Shloka 5

Matsya Purana — How Śrāddha Offerings Reach the Ancestors

Devanagari script

अग्निष्वात्तादयस्तेषाम् आधिपत्ये व्यवस्थिताः नामगोत्रकालदेशा भवान्तरगतानपि //

Transliteration

agniṣvāttādayasteṣām ādhipatye vyavasthitāḥ nāmagotrakāladeśā bhavāntaragatānapi //

Translation

The Pitṛ-groups, such as the Agniṣvātta and others, are established in lordship over them; and they duly govern and keep record of their names, lineages, times, and places—even when those beings have passed into another state of existence.

Word by Word

अग्निष्वात्तादयःthe Agniṣvāttas and others (classes of Pitṛs)

तेषाम्of them/over them (the departed/ancestral beings)

आधिपत्येin sovereignty, in governing authority

व्यवस्थिताःstationed, duly appointed, established

नामname

गोत्रlineage/clan

कालtime/season/appointed time

देशाplace/region

भवान्तरगतान्those who have gone to another condition of being (another birth/state)

अपिalso, even

Speaker

Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

Agniṣvātta PitṛsPitṛs (ancestral deities)

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it explains an ongoing cosmological administration—Pitṛs like the Agniṣvāttas maintain oversight of beings’ identity markers (name, gotra, time, place) even across transitions of existence.

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

By emphasizing gotra and ancestral continuity, it supports the householder’s duty of śrāddha and proper lineage remembrance; for kings, it underlines the importance of maintaining genealogical records and performing state-supported ancestral rites that sustain social and ritual order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is genealogical precision in ancestral rites: correct name and gotra (and the proper time and place) are essential for śrāddha offerings to reach the intended ancestors under the Pitṛs’ governance.