Shloka 72

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

Devanagari script

पितृभिः पीयमानायां पञ्चदश्यां तु वै कलाम् यावच्च क्षीयते तस्माद् भागः पञ्चदशस्तु सः //

Transliteration

pitṛbhiḥ pīyamānāyāṃ pañcadaśyāṃ tu vai kalām yāvacca kṣīyate tasmād bhāgaḥ pañcadaśastu saḥ //

Translation

As the Pitṛs partake of and ‘drink’ the Moon’s fifteenth digit (kalā) on the fifteenth day, it steadily wanes; therefore that portion is called the fifteenth share.

Word by Word

• पितृभिः (pitṛbhiḥ): by the Pitṛs/ancestors

• पीयमानायाम् (pīyamānāyām): being drunk/partaken of

• पञ्चदश्याम् (pañcadaśyām): in/at the fifteenth (lunar day/digit)

• तु (tu): indeed

• वै (vai): certainly

• कलाम् (kalām): lunar digit/portion (of the Moon)

• यावत् च (yāvat ca): as long as/while

• क्षीयते (kṣīyate): wanes, diminishes

• तस्मात् (tasmāt): therefore

• भागः (bhāgaḥ): share/portion

• पञ्चदशः (pañcadaśaḥ): fifteenth

• तु (tu): indeed

• सः (saḥ): that (portion).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching on Pitṛ rites; doctrinal exposition within the Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Candra (Moon)
• Kalā (lunar digit)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs
• Moon
• Tithi
• Ritual Cosmology

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it explains a ritual-cosmological cause for the Moon’s waning—Pitṛs consuming the lunar kalā—used to ground dharma practices like Śrāddha in cosmic order.

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

It supports the householder’s duty to perform Pitṛ-yajña/Śrāddha with correct lunar timing (tithi/kalā), presenting ancestor rites as harmonized with cosmic rhythms—an emphasis also upheld by kings as guardians of dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it links lunar phases (especially the fifteenth kalā) to Pitṛ offerings, reinforcing why Śrāddha and related rites are scheduled by tithi and the Moon’s waxing/waning.