Shloka 35

Matsya Purana — Sādhāraṇa Śrāddha: General Ancestral Rite

Devanagari script

वार्ध्रीणसस्य मांसेन तृप्तिर् द्वादशवार्षिकी कालशाकेन चानन्ता खड्गमांसेन चैव हि //

Transliteration

vārdhrīṇasasya māṃsena tṛptir dvādaśavārṣikī kālaśākena cānantā khaḍgamāṃsena caiva hi //

Translation

By eating the meat of the vārdhrīṇasa, one attains a satisfaction lasting twelve years; by eating kālaśāka, the satisfaction is unending—and likewise, it is said, with the meat of the khaḍga.

Word by Word

• वार्ध्रीणसस्य: of the vārdhrīṇasa (a particular animal, traditionally identified in some lexica as a kind of boar/porcupine-like creature)

• मांसेन: by (its) meat

• तृप्तिः: satisfaction, satiation

• द्वादश-वार्षिकी: lasting twelve years

• काल-शाकेन: by kālaśāka (a dark/black leafy vegetable

• च: and

• अनन्ता: endless, infinite

• खड्ग-मांसेन: by the meat of khaḍga (rhinoceros

• च एव: and indeed/also

• हि: for, indeed.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• vārdhrīṇasa
• kālaśāka
• khaḍga

Tags

• Dharma
• Aharavidhi
• Diet
• Merit
• Puranic injunctions

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya directly; it belongs to a dharma-style catalogue describing the karmic/experiential “fruit” (tṛpti) attributed to specific foods.

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

It frames food as ethically and spiritually consequential: a householder (and by extension a ruler setting norms) is advised to understand that diet is not merely bodily nourishment but is linked to merit, restraint, and regulated enjoyment.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-building rule appears here; the ritual significance is indirect—food items are presented as having specific “phala” (results), which can inform offerings, vrata-related diet choices, or purity-oriented observances.