Shloka 69

Matsya Purana — The Attendant Hosts of the Sun and Moon: Monthly Gaṇas

Devanagari script

अर्धमाससमाप्तौ तु पीत्वा गच्छन्ति ते ऽमृतम् सौम्या बर्हिषदश्चैव अग्निष्वात्ताश्च ये स्मृताः //

Transliteration

ardhamāsasamāptau tu pītvā gacchanti te 'mṛtam saumyā barhiṣadaścaiva agniṣvāttāśca ye smṛtāḥ //

Translation

At the close of the half-month, having drunk the oblation, they depart unto immortality—namely the Saumya Pitṛs, the Barhiṣads, and those remembered as the Agniṣvāttas.

Word by Word

• ardhamāsa-samāptau: at the completion of the half-month (fortnight)

• tu: indeed/then

• pītvā: having drunk (received/partaken of the offered essence/oblation)

• gacchanti: they go/depart

• te: they (those Pitṛs)

• amṛtam: immortality/nectar-like imperishable state

• saumyāḥ: the Saumya class (lunar/saumya) of Pitṛs

• barhiṣadaḥ: Barhiṣad Pitṛs (those associated with barhis, sacrificial grass/rite)

• ca eva: and indeed

• agniṣvāttāḥ: Agniṣvātta Pitṛs (those ‘tasted by fire’, linked with fire-offerings)

• ye: who/which

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are traditionally known.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Saumya Pitṛs
• Barhiṣad Pitṛs
• Agniṣvātta Pitṛs
• Amṛta (immortality)

Tags

• Pitṛloka
• Śrāddha
• Tithi
• Ritual cosmology
• Afterlife

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it explains post-death ritual cosmology—how specific classes of Pitṛs, after receiving the offering, proceed toward an imperishable (amṛta) state.

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

It supports the gṛhastha-duty of performing timely Śrāddha and ancestral offerings: when done in the proper tithi-cycle (fortnightly timing implied), the oblation reaches the Pitṛs and is said to aid their onward state.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it emphasizes correct calendrical timing (end of the half-month) and identifies the recipient lineages of Pitṛs (Saumya, Barhiṣad, Agniṣvātta) relevant to Śrāddha procedure.