Shloka 7

Matsya Purana — Pratiśukra Rite and the Worship of Śukra

Devanagari script

तद्वद्वाचस्पतेः पूजां प्रवक्ष्यामि युधिष्ठिर सुवर्णपात्रे सौवर्णम् अमरेशपुरोहितम् //

Transliteration

tadvadvācaspateḥ pūjāṃ pravakṣyāmi yudhiṣṭhira suvarṇapātre sauvarṇam amareśapurohitam //

Translation

In the same manner, O Yudhiṣṭhira, I shall now describe the worship of Vācaspati (Bṛhaspati). One should worship the priest of the Lord of the gods, fashioned of gold and placed in a golden vessel.

Word by Word

tadvatlikewise/in the same way

vācaspateḥof Vācaspati (Bṛhaspati, Jupiter/Guru)

pūjāmworship/ritual honoring

pravakṣyāmiI will explain/I shall declare

yudhiṣṭhiraO Yudhiṣṭhira

suvarṇa-pātrein a golden vessel

sauvarṇammade of gold/golden

amareśa-purohitamthe purohita (chief priest) of Amareśa (Indra), i.e., Bṛhaspati

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching to the sages; addressing Yudhiṣṭhira as the recipient within the instructional frame)

Entities Mentioned

YudhiṣṭhiraVācaspati (Bṛhaspati)Amareśa (Indra)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to a ritual-instruction context, focusing on how to perform worship of Bṛhaspati (Vācaspati) using prescribed materials like gold and a golden vessel.

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

It frames dharmic duty as correct devapūjā: a king/householder should honor key deities (here, Bṛhaspati, Indra’s priest and emblem of counsel, learning, and statecraft) with proper offerings, emphasizing disciplined, rule-based worship and dāna.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it specifies upacāra-material standards: worship involves a golden representation/element (sauvarṇa) and a golden vessel (suvarṇa-pātra), highlighting purity, auspiciousness, and prescribed ritual paraphernalia rather than temple architecture.