Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Prologue to the Matsya Purana and the Manu–Pralaya Rescue Narrative

Devanagari script

कदाचिदाश्रमे तस्य कुर्वतः पितृतर्पणम् पपात पाण्योर् उपरि शफरी जलसंयुता //

Transliteration

kadācidāśrame tasya kurvataḥ pitṛtarpaṇam papāta pāṇyor upari śapharī jalasaṃyutā //

Translation

Once, while he was in his hermitage performing the libation-offering to the ancestors (pitṛ-tarpaṇa), a small fish, still wet with water, fell upon the palms of his hands.

Word by Word

• kadācit: once/at a certain time

• āśrame: in the hermitage

• tasya: of him (Manu)

• kurvataḥ: while doing/performing

• pitṛ-tarpaṇam: ancestral libation/rite of satisfying the Pitṛs

• papāta: fell

• pāṇyoḥ: on (his) two hands

• upari: upon

• śapharī: a small fish

• jala-saṃyutā: accompanied by water/wet with water.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the event to the sages (framing narration of the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaivasvata Manu
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Matsya (as the fish, in seed form)

Tags

• Matsya Avatara
• Manu
• Pralaya
• Ritual
• Pitṛtarpaṇa

FAQs

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

It sets the narrative trigger for the Pralaya account: the divine fish appears to Manu during a rite, initiating the chain of events that leads to the Great Flood warning and preservation theme.

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

Manu is shown performing pitṛ-tarpaṇa, highlighting the Dharma duty of honoring ancestors—an essential householder/kingly obligation even for rulers and lawgivers.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual element is explicit: pitṛ-tarpaṇa (ancestral libations) performed in an āśrama setting, emphasizing correct domestic/āśrama-based rites rather than temple architecture in this verse.