Shloka 54

Matsya Purana — Sādhāraṇa Śrāddha: General Ancestral Rite

Devanagari script

गोत्रं तथा वर्धतां नस् तथेत्युक्तश्च तैः पुनः दातारो नो ऽभिवर्धन्ताम् इति चैवमुदीरयेत् //

Transliteration

gotraṃ tathā vardhatāṃ nas tathetyuktaśca taiḥ punaḥ dātāro no 'bhivardhantām iti caivamudīrayet //

Translation

When they (the recipients/priests) say, “May our gotra (lineage) likewise prosper,” one should reply again in this manner: “May our donors indeed increase and prosper,” thus should he pronounce.

Word by Word

• गोत्रम्: lineage/clan

• तथा: likewise/so

• वर्धताम्: may (it) grow/prosper

• नः: our/of us

• तथा इति: ‘so be it’/‘thus’

• उक्तः: having been said/when it is said

• च: and

• तैः: by them

• पुनः: again

• दातारः: donors/givers

• नः: our/of us

• अभिवर्धन्ताम्: may they flourish greatly/may they increase

• इति: thus

• च एवम्: and in this manner

• उदीरयेत्: he should utter/recite.

Speaker

• Narratorial injunction within Matsya Purana’s ritual guidance (instructional voice attributed to Lord Matsya’s teaching to Manu in the broader dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Gotra
• Dātā (donor)
• Ṛtvij/Brāhmaṇa recipients (implied)

Tags

• Dharma
• Shraddha
• Dana
• Mantra
• Blessings

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on ritual speech—reciprocal blessings exchanged during acts like dāna/śrāddha, emphasizing social-religious continuity through lineage and generosity.

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

It instructs the householder (and by extension a king performing public gifts) to respond properly to blessings: uphold dharma through courteous ritual conduct, and affirm that donors should prosper—reinforcing the ethic of sustaining charity and the community.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual, not architectural: it preserves correct śrāddha/dāna etiquette by prescribing the exact benedictory formula—‘dātāro no ’bhivardhantām’—as a sanctioned response.