Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — Ritual Procedure and Merit of Donating the Ratnācala

Devanagari script

अनेन विधिना यस्तु दद्याद्रत्नमयं गिरिम् स याति विष्णुसालोक्यम् अमरेश्वरपूजितः //

Transliteration

anena vidhinā yastu dadyādratnamayaṃ girim sa yāti viṣṇusālokyam amareśvarapūjitaḥ //

Translation

Whoever, following this prescribed procedure, donates a “mountain” made of jewels attains Viṣṇu-sālokya—residence in the same world as Viṣṇu—honored and worshipped by the lordly gods.

Word by Word

• अनेन (anena): by this

• विधिना (vidhinā): by the prescribed rule/ritual procedure

• यः (yaḥ): whoever

• तु (tu): indeed

• दद्यात् (dadyāt): should give/donates

• रत्नमयम् (ratnamayam): made of jewels

• गिरिम् (girim): a mountain (symbolic heap/representation)

• सः (saḥ): he

• याति (yāti): goes/attains

• विष्णुसालोक्यम् (viṣṇusālokyam): the same realm/world as Viṣṇu (sālokya-mukti)

• अमरेश्वरपूजितः (amareśvarapūjitaḥ): worshipped by the lords of the immortals (the gods)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching on dāna-dharma; originally framed as instruction given in the Purāṇic dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Amaras (Devas)

Tags

• Dāna
• Dharma
• Phala-śruti
• Vishnu
• Ritual

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it states the spiritual result of a specific act of dāna (donation), namely attaining Viṣṇu’s realm (sālokya).

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

It presents dāna as a core duty of householders and rulers: giving wealth in a ritually proper way is framed as dharmic conduct that yields exalted posthumous merit and divine honor.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key point is ritual procedure (vidhi): the ‘ratna-giri’ is a formal, symbolic donation (a constructed heap/representation of a jeweled mountain) whose efficacy depends on being performed according to prescribed rites.