Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Ritual Bathing

Devanagari script

उद्धृतासि वराहेण कृष्णेन शतबाहुना मृत्तिके ब्रह्मदत्तासि काश्यपेनाभिमन्त्रिता आरुह्य मम गात्राणि सर्वं पापं प्रचोदय //

Transliteration

uddhṛtāsi varāheṇa kṛṣṇena śatabāhunā mṛttike brahmadattāsi kāśyapenābhimantritā āruhya mama gātrāṇi sarvaṃ pāpaṃ pracodaya //

Translation

O sacred clay (Earth), you were lifted up by Kṛṣṇa in the form of Varāha, the Boar of a hundred arms; you are a gift of Brahmā, consecrated by Kaśyapa’s mantras. Ascend upon my limbs and drive out from me every sin.

Word by Word

• उद्धृतासि (uddhṛtāsi): you have been raised/lifted up

• वराहेण (varāheṇa): by the Boar-incarnation (Varāha)

• कृष्णेन (kṛṣṇena): by Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu)

• शतबाहुना (śatabāhunā): having a hundred arms

• मृत्तिके (mṛttike): O clay, O sacred earth

• ब्रह्मदत्तासि (brahmadattāsi): you are given by Brahmā / a boon-gift of Brahmā

• काश्यपेन (kāśyapena): by Kaśyapa

• अभिमन्त्रिता (abhimantritā): consecrated/empowered by mantra

• आरुह्य (āruhya): having mounted, ascending upon

• मम (mama): my

• गात्राणि (gātrāṇi): limbs, body-parts

• सर्वं (sarvaṃ): all

• पापं (pāpaṃ): sin, impurity

• प्रचोदय (pracodaya): impel away, drive out, remove.

Speaker

• Ritual officiant / practitioner (as a prescribed mantra in the narration of Lord Matsya to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Varāha
• Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu)
• Brahmā
• Kaśyapa
• Mṛttikā (sacred earth/clay)

Tags

• Purification
• Mantra
• Prāyaścitta
• Varāha
• Ritual Bathing

FAQs

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

It alludes to the cosmic rescue of the Earth by Varāha (Viṣṇu), a mythic motif often connected with restoring the world after upheaval; here it is invoked to empower earth/clay as a purifier.

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

It functions as a practical śauca/prāyaścitta mantra: a householder (and by extension a king who must be ritually pure for governance and sacrifice) uses consecrated earth/clay to remove moral and ritual impurity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it sanctifies mṛttikā for application to the body during cleansing rites; it frames earth as mantra-empowered and cosmically validated (Varāha/Brahmā/Kaśyapa), strengthening the efficacy of purification procedures.