Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Origin of Soma

Devanagari script

ततस्तुष्टस्तु भगवांस् तस्मै नारायणो हरिः वरं वृणीष्व प्रोवाच परमात्मा जनार्दनः //

Transliteration

tatastuṣṭastu bhagavāṃs tasmai nārāyaṇo hariḥ varaṃ vṛṇīṣva provāca paramātmā janārdanaḥ //

Translation

Then, pleased, the Blessed Lord—Nārāyaṇa, Hari, the Supreme Self, Janārdana—said to him: “Choose a boon.”

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased, satisfied

• tu: indeed

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• tasmai: to him

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa (Vishnu)

• hariḥ: Hari (the remover of suffering)

• varam: a boon

• vṛṇīṣva: choose (you may choose)

• provāca: said, spoke

• paramātmā: the Supreme Self

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Vishnu, protector of beings)

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing Lord Narayana addressing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Narayana
• Hari
• Paramatma
• Janardana
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya-Avatara
• Boons
• Bhakti
• Manu

FAQs

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

It signals divine intervention just before the Pralaya narrative intensifies: the Lord, pleased with Manu, offers a boon—typically the turning point where protection and guidance for surviving the deluge are granted.

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

Manu’s reception of a boon implies that righteous conduct, restraint, and devotion invite divine favor—an ethical model for rulers and householders: perform duties faithfully, and seek boons aligned with dharma rather than personal indulgence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is the principle of divine “vara-pradāna” (boon-bestowal) as a fruit of devotion, often framed in Purāṇic ritual contexts of praise, vows, and worship.