Shloka 2

Matsya Purana — Rite and Merits of the Sesame-Mountain

Devanagari script

उत्तमो दशभिर् द्रोणैर् मध्यमः पञ्चभिः स्मृतः त्रिभिः कनिष्ठो विप्रेन्द्र तिलशैलः प्रकीर्तितः //

Transliteration

uttamo daśabhir droṇair madhyamaḥ pañcabhiḥ smṛtaḥ tribhiḥ kaniṣṭho viprendra tilaśailaḥ prakīrtitaḥ //

Translation

The ‘sesame-mountain’ (tilaśaila) gift is declared to be of three grades, O best of Brahmins: the superior (uttama) is measured as ten droṇas, the middling (madhyama) as five, and the lesser (kaniṣṭha) as three.

Word by Word

• uttamaḥ: the best/superior (grade)

• daśabhiḥ: by ten

• droṇaiḥ: droṇa-measures (a dry measure of grain)

• madhyamaḥ: the middle/middling (grade)

• pañcabhiḥ: by five

• smṛtaḥ: is remembered/considered

• tribhiḥ: by three

• kaniṣṭhaḥ: the least/inferior (grade)

• vipra-indra: O chief among Brahmins

• tila-śailaḥ: ‘sesame mountain’, a heap of sesame offered as a charity/ritual gift

• prakīrtitaḥ: is proclaimed/declared.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, addressing a Brahmin as viprendra within the teaching)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Vipra (Brahmin recipient/authority)
• Droṇa (measure)
• Tila-Śaila (sesame-heap donation)

Tags

• Dāna
• Ritual-measures
• Sesame
• Hindu charity rules
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is a procedural classification of a ritual charity (dāna) called the tila-śaila, specifying graded quantities by droṇa-measure.

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

It frames dāna as a regulated duty: a householder (and by extension a king as patron) should give according to capacity, with clearly defined ‘best/middle/least’ standards, ensuring charity is deliberate, measurable, and tradition-aligned.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it standardizes the size of the ‘sesame-mountain’ offering using droṇas—ten, five, or three—showing how Matsya Purana ritual practice relies on precise measurement, similar in spirit to the text’s broader concern for technical standards (e.g., in temple/rite prescriptions).