Shloka 34

Matsya Purana — The Gods Seek Śiva’s Refuge: The Cosmic Chariot Prepared for the Burning of T...

Devanagari script

ओंकारप्रभवास्ता वा मन्त्रयज्ञक्रतुक्रियाः उपद्रवाः प्रतीकाराः पशुबन्धेष्टयस्तथा //

Transliteration

oṃkāraprabhavāstā vā mantrayajñakratukriyāḥ upadravāḥ pratīkārāḥ paśubandheṣṭayastathā //

Translation

All these rites indeed arise from the syllable Oṃ—namely, mantra-observances, sacrificial acts and śrauta ceremonies; also rites concerning afflictions and their counter-remedies, as well as animal offerings and iṣṭi-sacrifices.

Word by Word

• oṃkāra-prabhavāḥ: originating from Oṃ

• tāḥ: those (rites)

• vā: indeed/also

• mantra: mantras/ritual formulas

• yajña: sacrifice

• kratu-kriyāḥ: śrauta ceremonial performances

• upadravāḥ: disturbances/afflictions/inauspicious troubles

• pratīkārāḥ: countermeasures/appeasements/remedial rites

• paśu-bandha: animal offering (binding of the victim)

• iṣṭayaḥ: iṣṭi rites (oblations/sacrificial offerings)

• tathā: and likewise

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Omkara (Oṃ)
• Yajña
• Kratu
• Iṣṭi
• Paśubandha

Tags

• Mantra
• Yajna
• Ritual Procedures
• Prayashchitta
• Vedic Tradition

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it presents a cosmogonic principle of sacred sound—Oṃ—as the source from which ritual order (mantra and yajña systems) proceeds.

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

It frames dharmic life around regulated rites: a householder sustains society through yajñas and iṣṭis, while a king supports public ritual order and employs prescribed remedial rites (pratīkāra) to address communal disturbances (upadrava).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is explicit: all sacrificial procedures—mantras, śrauta acts (kratu), iṣṭis, and even expiatory/appeasement measures—are grounded in Oṃ, underscoring Oṃ as the foundational invocation in formal rites.