Shloka 54

Matsya Purana — Rite and Layout for Consecrating Ponds

Devanagari script

अश्वमेधसमं प्राहुर् वसन्तसमये स्थितम् ग्रीष्मे ऽपि तत्स्थितं तोयं राजसूयाद्विशिष्यते //

Transliteration

aśvamedhasamaṃ prāhur vasantasamaye sthitam grīṣme 'pi tatsthitaṃ toyaṃ rājasūyādviśiṣyate //

Translation

They declare that water obtained and kept in the spring season (vasanta) yields merit equal to an Aśvamedha sacrifice; and that the same stored water, even in summer (grīṣma), is said to surpass the merit of a Rājasūya sacrifice.

Word by Word

• aśvamedha-samam: equal to the Aśvamedha

• prāhuḥ: they say/declare

• vasanta-samaye: in the spring season

• sthitam: kept/stored/remaining

• grīṣme api: even in summer

• tat-sthitam: that which is kept thus/so stored

• toyam: water

• rājasūyāt: than the Rājasūya

• viśiṣyate: is superior/excels.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) reporting the Matsya Purana’s teaching (dialogue traditionally framed around Lord Matsya’s instruction to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Aśvamedha
• Rājasūya

Tags

• Tirtha
• Dana
• Vrata
• Ritual merit
• Sacred water

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it focuses on ritual merit (puṇya) attributed to water preserved across seasons, ranking it against major royal sacrifices.

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

It redirects dharma toward accessible observances: a householder (and even a king) may gain very high merit through disciplined seasonal practice—collecting and reverently preserving water—without necessarily performing costly imperial yajñas.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it elevates “seasonally obtained and stored water” as a potent medium for rites (snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna, pūjā), implying careful collection and preservation practices akin to tirtha-ritual procedure rather than temple architecture.