Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

तदेष वै वेदमयः पुरुषो यज्ञसंज्ञितः वेदाश्चैतन्मयाः सर्वे साङ्गोपनिषदक्रियाः //

Transliteration

tadeṣa vai vedamayaḥ puruṣo yajñasaṃjñitaḥ vedāścaitanmayāḥ sarve sāṅgopaniṣadakriyāḥ //

Translation

Indeed, this Puruṣa is made of the Veda and is known as Yajña (the Sacrifice). And all the Vedas are of his very essence—together with their auxiliaries, the Upaniṣads, and the ritual procedures.

Word by Word

• tad eṣaḥ: this very (one)

• vai: indeed

• veda-mayaḥ: consisting of the Vedas, formed of Vedic knowledge

• puruṣaḥ: the Cosmic Person, Supreme Person

• yajña-saṃjñitaḥ: called/known as Yajña (Sacrifice)

• vedāḥ: the Vedas

• ca: and

• etan-mayāḥ: made of this, of his essence

• sarve: all

• sāṅga: with the limbs/auxiliaries (Vedāṅgas)

• upaniṣad: the Upaniṣads (esoteric teachings)

• kriyāḥ: rites, ritual acts, procedures

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Yajña
• Puruṣa
• Vedas
• Upaniṣads
• Vedāṅgas

Tags

• Yajña
• Veda
• Puruṣa
• Ritual
• Upaniṣad

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it frames the cosmic order as grounded in Yajña-Puruṣa: even across cycles like pralaya and re-creation, the Vedic principle of sacrifice and sacred knowledge is presented as the enduring foundation of dharma and cosmic continuity.

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

By identifying the Supreme as Yajña and the Vedas as his essence, the verse supports the Matsya Purana’s ethic that householders and kings uphold society through Vedic duties—especially yajñas, study, and correct observance of prescribed rites—since these acts align human governance and domestic life with cosmic law.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is explicit: Veda, Vedāṅgas, Upaniṣads, and kriyā (procedures) are treated as a unified sacrificial system centered on Yajña-Puruṣa—implying that correct ritual method (kriyā) and its textual supports are essential for valid worship and consecratory acts.