Shloka 26

Matsya Purana — Pitṛ Worlds

Devanagari script

सोमपा नाम पितरो यत्र तिष्ठन्ति शाश्वताः धर्ममूर्तिधराः सर्वे परतो ब्रह्मणः स्मृताः //

Transliteration

somapā nāma pitaro yatra tiṣṭhanti śāśvatāḥ dharmamūrtidharāḥ sarve parato brahmaṇaḥ smṛtāḥ //

Translation

There dwell eternally the ancestral Fathers known as the Somapās; all of them bear the very form of Dharma, and they are remembered as existing beyond (or higher than) Brahmā.

Word by Word

• somapāḥ: the Somapā Pitṛs (ancestors who partake of Soma)

• nāma: by name/known as

• pitaraḥ: the Fathers/ancestral beings

• yatra: where

• tiṣṭhanti: abide/dwell

• śāśvatāḥ: eternal/perpetual

• dharma-mūrti-dharāḥ: bearing the embodiment/form of Dharma

• sarve: all

• parataḥ: beyond/further than/superior to

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are traditionally held to be

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Somapā Pitṛs
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Dharma
• Brahmā

Tags

• Pitrloka
• Shraddha
• Dharma
• Afterlife
• Cosmology

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it points to a stable cosmic hierarchy that persists across cycles: the Somapā Pitṛs are described as eternal and situated in an exalted realm, suggesting continuity of ancestral orders even when worlds undergo periodic dissolution.

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

By elevating the Pitṛs as embodiments of Dharma, the verse reinforces the householder’s and king’s duty to uphold dharma through śrāddha and ancestral offerings—acts believed to sustain lineage, social order, and religious merit in Matsya Purana-style dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights the authority and sanctity of the Pitṛs—supporting the importance of properly performed śrāddha and pitṛ-tarpaṇa; architecturally, it does not prescribe Vāstu rules in this verse, but it underpins why dedicated ritual spaces (clean, consecrated areas for offerings) are emphasized in Purāṇic practice.