Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Rite and Merits of the Sesame-Mountain

Devanagari script

यस्मान्मधुवधे विष्णोर् देहस्वेदसमुद्भवाः तिलाः कुशाश्च माषाश्च तस्माच्छान्त्यै भवत्विह //

Transliteration

yasmānmadhuvadhe viṣṇor dehasvedasamudbhavāḥ tilāḥ kuśāśca māṣāśca tasmācchāntyai bhavatviha //

Translation

Because, at the slaying of Madhu, sesame seeds, kuśa grass, and black gram (māṣa) arose from Viṣṇu’s bodily perspiration, therefore let these be employed here for rites of pacification (śānti).

Word by Word

• yasmāt: because/from which cause

• madhu-vadhe: at the killing of (the demon) Madhu

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu

• deha: body

• sveda: sweat/perspiration

• samudbhavāḥ: arisen/originating

• tilāḥ: sesame seeds

• kuśāḥ: kuśa grass

• ca: and

• māṣāḥ: māṣa/black gram (urad)

• ca: and

• tasmāt: therefore

• śāntyai: for pacification/appeasement (śānti)

• bhavatu: let it be/let it become

• iha: here (in this rite/context).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (as Viṣṇu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (likely narrative frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Madhu
• Tila
• Kusha

Tags

• Shanti
• Ritual
• Shraddha
• Dharma
• Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it gives an etiological (origin) explanation for why specific ritual substances—tila, kuśa, and māṣa—are considered inherently purifying and effective for śānti rites.

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

It supports the householder/kingly duty of maintaining ritual order through śānti-karma—using prescribed substances in expiatory and pacificatory rites to remove inauspiciousness and uphold dharma in the family and realm.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it authorizes tila, kuśa, and māṣa as key materials for śānti (and related śrāddha/expiation contexts), grounding their efficacy in a Viṣṇu-centered sacred origin; no direct Vāstu rule is stated in this verse.