Shloka 8
Matsya Purana — Nārāyaṇa as Haṃsa in the Cosmic Ocean: Vedic Yajña-Puruṣa and Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vi...
ब्रह्मणो ब्राह्मणाच्छंसि प्रस्तोतारं च सर्वशः तौ मित्रावरुणौ पृष्ठात् प्रतिप्रस्तारमेव च //
brahmaṇo brāhmaṇācchaṃsi prastotāraṃ ca sarvaśaḥ tau mitrāvaruṇau pṛṣṭhāt pratiprastārameva ca //
From the Brahman-priest (are appointed) the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī and, in every respect, the Prastotṛ; and behind them are Mitra and Varuṇa, as well as the Pratiprastotṛ.
FAQs
This verse does not address pralaya directly; it focuses on yajña-organization—how specific priests and the deities Mitra–Varuṇa are positioned/associated within a sacrificial rite.
It implies that a king or householder sponsoring a sacrifice must appoint competent officiants (like the Brāhmaṇācchaṃsī, Prastotṛ, and Pratiprastotṛ) and follow correct ritual protocol—an aspect of dharma through properly performed yajña.
Ritually, it specifies functional roles and relative placement (“behind”) in the sacrificial arrangement, linking personnel and deity-pairs (Mitra–Varuṇa) to the ordered layout of the yajña space—useful for planning the yajña-maṇḍapa and priest seating/standing positions.