Shloka 34

Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीती निर्वर्त्य ततः पर्युक्षणादिकम् प्राचीनावीतिना कार्यम् अतः सर्वं विजानता //

Transliteration

yajñopavītī nirvartya tataḥ paryukṣaṇādikam prācīnāvītinā kāryam ataḥ sarvaṃ vijānatā //

Translation

Having arranged the sacred thread in the yajñopavīta position, one should then perform acts such as sprinkling (paryukṣaṇa) and the rest; but these are to be done with the thread in the prācīnāvīta position—so understands the one who knows the entire procedure.

Word by Word

• yajñopavītī: with the sacred thread worn in the yajñopavīta manner (over the left shoulder)

• nirvartya: having arranged/put in order, having properly assumed

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• paryukṣaṇa-ādikam: sprinkling (ritual sanctifying water) and related acts

• prācīna-āvītinā: with the thread worn in the prācīnāvīta manner (over the right shoulder, associated with certain rites, often ancestral/particular procedural contexts)

• kāryam: should be done/ought to be performed

• ataḥ: therefore/for this reason

• sarvam: all (the full procedure)

• vijānatā: by/for one who knows, the knowledgeable practitioner.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, in the didactic dialogue style of the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Yajñopavīta
• Prācīnāvīta
• Paryukṣaṇa

Tags

• Dharma
• Ritual
• Yajñopavīta
• Śrauta-Gṛhya
• Purification

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it focuses on correct ritual procedure—specifically the proper wearing of the sacred thread during different steps of a rite.

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

It reinforces the dharmic duty of performing rites with procedural accuracy; a householder (and by extension a king who upholds dharma) must observe correct yajñopavīta/prācīnāvīta conventions during sanctifying actions like paryukṣaṇa.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is the regulated shift in sacred-thread position: begin in yajñopavīta, then perform paryukṣaṇa and related acts in prācīnāvīta—an important procedural marker for correctness and purity in worship/rites.