Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Pṛthu

Devanagari script

तदन्नमभवच्छुद्धं प्रजा जीवन्ति येन वै ततस्तु ऋषिभिर्दुग्धा वत्सः सोमस्तदाभवत् //

Transliteration

tadannamabhavacchuddhaṃ prajā jīvanti yena vai tatastu ṛṣibhirdugdhā vatsaḥ somastadābhavat //

Translation

That (substance) became pure food, by which beings indeed live. Then it was milked by the Ṛṣis, and its calf at that time became Soma.

Word by Word

• tad: that

• annam: food, nourishment

• abhavat: became

• śuddham: pure, purified

• prajāḥ: creatures, subjects, beings

• jīvanti: live, subsist

• yena: by which

• vai: indeed

• tataḥ tu: then, thereafter

• ṛṣibhiḥ: by the sages

• dugdhā: milked, extracted (as milk)

• vatsaḥ: calf (the ‘calf’ used for milking)

• somaḥ: Soma (the sacred lunar nectar/deity)

• tadā: at that time

• abhavat: became

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Purāṇic account; likely within the Matsya Purana’s creation narrative framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Rishis
• Soma

Tags

• Creation
• Soma
• Cosmic Nourishment
• Rishis
• Puranic Cosmology

FAQs

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

It highlights a creation-side motif: a purified cosmic nourishment arises to sustain beings, and Soma is produced through a symbolic ‘milking’ by the sages—more about sustaining order than dissolution.

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

By stressing ‘pure food’ as the basis of life, it implicitly supports dharmic governance and household ethics: rulers and householders should ensure purity and right provision of sustenance (anna-śuddhi, proper support of society and ritual life).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, Soma is central to Vedic sacrifice; the verse frames Soma’s emergence as a sacred extraction, reinforcing Soma’s sanctity in yajña procedures (though no direct Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated here).