Shloka 70

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

Devanagari script

काव्याश्चैव तु ये प्रोक्ताः पितरः सर्व एव ते संवत्सराश्च ये काव्याः पञ्चाब्दा वै द्विजाः स्मृताः //

Transliteration

kāvyāścaiva tu ye proktāḥ pitaraḥ sarva eva te saṃvatsarāśca ye kāvyāḥ pañcābdā vai dvijāḥ smṛtāḥ //

Translation

All the Pitṛs who are declared to be ‘Kāvyas’ indeed belong to that class; and those Kāvyas who are called ‘Saṃvatsaras’ are remembered among the twice-born as the ‘Pañcābdas’.

Word by Word

• kāvyāḥ: the ‘Kāvya’ class (a named group)

• ca eva tu: and indeed/only

• ye: who

• proktāḥ: have been declared

• pitaraḥ: the Fathers, ancestral beings (Pitṛs)

• sarvaḥ eva te: all of them indeed

• saṃvatsarāḥ: ‘Saṃvatsara’ (year/time-cycle) class

• ca: and

• ye: who

• kāvyāḥ: Kāvyas

• pañcābdāḥ: ‘five-year’ (pañca-abda) group/name

• vai: indeed

• dvijāḥ: the twice-born (Brāhmaṇa/Kṣatriya/Vaiśya)

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are traditionally stated

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Kāvyas
• Saṃvatsara
• Dvitīya-janma (Dvija)

Tags

• Shraddha
• Pitrs
• Ritual calendar
• Dharma
• Ancestral rites

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it classifies Pitṛ groups through time-cycle terminology (Saṃvatsara/Pañcābda), supporting ritual order rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

By defining Pitṛ categories used in Śrāddha and ancestral offerings, it guides householders (and kings as exemplars) to perform rites according to proper traditional classifications and calendrical groupings.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it links Pitṛ nomenclature with time-cycles (Saṃvatsara, Pañcābda), indicating how Śrāddha-related traditions can be organized or referenced by calendrical units.