Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — Soma

Devanagari script

तदा स गच्छति द्रष्टुं दिवाकरनिशाकरौ अमावास्याममावास्यां मातामहपितामहौ //

Transliteration

tadā sa gacchati draṣṭuṃ divākaraniśākarau amāvāsyāmamāvāsyāṃ mātāmahapitāmahau //

Translation

Then he goes to behold the Sun and the Moon; and on the day of Amāvāsyā (the New Moon), he reverently beholds—i.e., pays homage to—the maternal grandfather and the paternal grandfather.

Word by Word

• tadā: then

• saḥ: he

• gacchati: goes

• draṣṭum: to see/observe

• divākaraḥ: the Sun (maker of day)

• niśākaraḥ: the Moon (maker of night)

• amāvāsyām: on the new-moon day

• mātāmahaḥ: maternal grandfather

• pitāmahaḥ: paternal grandfather

• (mātāmaha-pitāmahau): the two grandfathers (maternal and paternal)

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice in Purāṇic discourse; describing prescribed observances)

Entities Mentioned

• Divākara (Sun)
• Niśākara (Moon)
• Amāvāsyā
• Mātāmaha
• Pitāmaha

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Amāvāsyā
• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Ritual calendar

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on ritual timekeeping—especially Amāvāsyā—as an auspicious occasion for honoring ancestral lineages.

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

It frames a dharmic routine: a disciplined person (notably a gṛhastha, and by extension a ruler as moral exemplar) should observe the celestial markers (Sun and Moon) and perform reverence toward elders/ancestors—specifically both maternal and paternal grandfathers—on Amāvāsyā.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is calendrical: Amāvāsyā is highlighted as a key tithi for Pitṛ-related observances (such as śrāddha/tarpaṇa), linking correct timing with correct ancestral veneration.