Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Nārāyaṇa as Haṃsa in the Cosmic Ocean: Vedic Yajña-Puruṣa and Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vi...

Devanagari script

एवमेवैष भगवान् षोडशैव जगत्पतिः प्रवक्तॄन्सर्वयज्ञानाम् ऋत्विजो ऽसृजदुत्तमान् //

Transliteration

evamevaiṣa bhagavān ṣoḍaśaiva jagatpatiḥ pravaktṝnsarvayajñānām ṛtvijo 'sṛjaduttamān //

Translation

Thus indeed, that Blessed Lord—the Lord of the world—created precisely sixteen excellent (functionaries): the reciters/instructors (pravaktṛs) and the officiating priests (ṛtviks) for all sacrifices.

Word by Word

• evam eva: thus indeed

• eṣaḥ: this (one)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• ṣoḍaśa eva: exactly sixteen

• jagat-patiḥ: Lord of the world

• pravaktṝn: expounders/reciters/instructors

• sarva-yajñānām: of all sacrifices

• ṛtvijaḥ: officiating priests

• asṛjat: created/produced

• uttamān: excellent, foremost

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Bhagavān (Supreme Lord)
• Ṛtviks (sacrificial priests)
• Pravaktṛs (reciters/instructors)
• Yajña (sacrifice)

Tags

• Yajna
• Ritual
• Creation
• Vedic Offices
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya directly; it emphasizes cosmic order through the Lord’s establishment of sacrificial functionaries (pravaktṛs and ṛtviks), implying that yajña is a sustaining principle of the world.

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

It supports the Purāṇic ideal that kings and householders uphold dharma by sponsoring yajñas performed by qualified priests and guided by proper recitation/instruction, ensuring rites are executed correctly.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it identifies the organized priestly framework—pravaktṛs (those who teach/recite) and ṛtviks (officiants)—as divinely instituted for conducting all sacrificial procedures properly.