Shloka 7
Matsya Purana — How Śrāddha Offerings Reach the Ancestors
तस्यान्नममृतं भूत्वा दिव्यत्वे ऽप्यनुगच्छति दैत्यत्वे भोगरूपेण पशुत्वे च तृणं भवेत् //
tasyānnamamṛtaṃ bhūtvā divyatve 'pyanugacchati daityatve bhogarūpeṇa paśutve ca tṛṇaṃ bhavet //
For him, that very food becomes nectar and follows him even into a divine state; in a daitya (demonic) state it turns into objects of enjoyment, and in an animal state it becomes grass.
FAQs
It does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches a karmic principle: the same ‘nourishment’ or merit ripens differently across realms—nectar for devas, pleasure-objects for daityas, and fodder for animals—showing continuity of results across births.
It implies that disciplined, dharmic conduct refines one’s enjoyments into higher, life-sustaining outcomes (like ‘amṛta’), while desire-driven living degrades experience into mere consumption; thus rulers and householders should regulate bhoga through charity, restraint, and righteous livelihood.
No explicit Vastu or temple rule appears here; ritually, it supports the idea that pure offerings/food (anna) and the intent behind them shape future states, reinforcing why śrāddha, dāna, and yajña emphasize purity and right motivation.