Shloka 5

Matsya Purana — Rite and Merits of the Sesame-Mountain

Devanagari script

हव्ये कव्ये च यस्माच्च तिला एवाभिरक्षणम् भवादुद्धर शैलेन्द्र तिलाचल नमो ऽस्तु ते //

Transliteration

havye kavye ca yasmācca tilā evābhirakṣaṇam bhavāduddhara śailendra tilācala namo 'stu te //

Translation

For in offerings to the gods (havya) and in offerings to the ancestors (kavya), sesame (tilā) is safeguarded and made efficacious through you—O lord of mountains, O Tilācala—raise me up, deliver me. Salutations to you.

Word by Word

• havye: in havya-offerings (to the gods)

• kavye: in kavya-offerings (to the ancestors/Śrāddha)

• ca: and

• yasmāt: because/since

• ca: also

• tilāḥ: sesame seeds

• eva: indeed

• abhirakṣaṇam: protection/guarding, ensuring efficacy

• bhavāt: through you/from you

• uddhara: lift up, rescue, deliver

• śailendra: lord of mountains, best of mountains

• tilācala: Tilācala (the ‘Sesame Hill’, a sacred tirtha)

• namaḥ astu te: salutations be to you

Speaker

• A devotee/pilgrim praising the tirtha Tilācala (stotra-style address within the tirtha-māhātmya narration, traditionally relayed by Sūta to the sages)

Entities Mentioned

• Tilācala
• Tilā (sesame)
• Havya
• Kavya

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Shraddha
• Pitri-rites
• Ritual
• Sesame

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it focuses on ritual efficacy—how sesame (tilā) functions in offerings to gods and ancestors at the sacred site Tilācala.

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

It reinforces the householder’s duty to perform havya (deva-yajña) and kavya (pitṛ-yajña/śrāddha). Using tilā properly in these rites is presented as a means of protection, merit, and spiritual uplift.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights tilā as a key substance in both deva-offerings and śrāddha for ancestors, and it frames Tilācala as a tirtha whose sanctity ‘protects’ and empowers such offerings.