Shloka 45

Matsya Purana — Rite and Layout for Consecrating Ponds

Devanagari script

महानदीजलोपेतां दध्यक्षतसमन्विताम् उत्तराभिमुखीं धेनुं जलमध्ये तु कारयेत् //

Transliteration

mahānadījalopetāṃ dadhyakṣatasamanvitām uttarābhimukhīṃ dhenuṃ jalamadhye tu kārayet //

Translation

He should place a milch-cow in the midst of the water, furnished with the water of a great river and accompanied by curds (dadhi) and unbroken rice-grains (akṣata), with the cow facing north.

Word by Word

• mahā-nadī-jala-upetām: endowed with (i.e., associated with) the water of a great river

• dadhi: curds/yogurt

• akṣata: unbroken rice-grains (auspicious grains)

• samanvitām: accompanied by, provided with

• uttarābhimukhīm: facing north

• dhenum: a milch-cow

• jala-madhye: in the middle of the water

• tu: indeed/then

• kārayet: one should cause to be done/should arrange (the rite).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, ritual-vidhi style)

Entities Mentioned

• Dhenu (cow)
• Mahānadi (great river-water)
• Akṣata
• Dadhi

Tags

• Dāna
• Ritual procedure
• River rite
• Auspicious items
• Directional rule

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it prescribes a ritual procedure (vidhi) involving a cow, river-water, and auspicious offerings like curds and akṣata.

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

It aligns with dāna and ritual obligations: a householder (and by extension a king as patron of dharma) is instructed to perform regulated offerings using auspicious substances and correct orientation to accrue religious merit and uphold social-religious order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it specifies (1) the medium: great river-water, (2) the offerings: curds and akṣata, (3) the spatial placement: midstream/in the water, and (4) the directional rule: the cow must face north—typical of precise procedural injunctions in Purāṇic rites.