Shloka 8

Matsya Purana — The Greatness and Procedure of the Sarva-Phala-Tyaga Vrata

Devanagari script

औदुम्बरं नारिकेलं द्राक्षाथ बृहतीद्वयम् रौप्याणि कारयेच्छक्त्या फलानीमानि षोडश //

Transliteration

audumbaraṃ nārikelaṃ drākṣātha bṛhatīdvayam raupyāṇi kārayecchaktyā phalānīmāni ṣoḍaśa //

Translation

According to one’s means, one should have these sixteen fruits fashioned in silver: the audumbara fruit, the coconut, grapes, and the pair of bṛhatī fruits.

Word by Word

• audumbaram: audumbara fruit (fig of the Udumbara tree)

• nārikelam: coconut

• drākṣā: grapes

• atha: and/then

• bṛhatī-dvayam: the two bṛhatī fruits (a pair)

• raupyāṇi: made of silver/silver items

• kārayet: should cause to be made/should commission

• śaktyā: according to one’s capacity

• phalāni: fruits

• imāni: these

• ṣoḍaśa: sixteen

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (context: dāna/vrata procedure)

Entities Mentioned

• Audumbara (Udumbara fruit)
• Nārikela (Coconut)
• Drākṣā (Grapes)
• Bṛhatī

Tags

• Dāna
• Vrata
• Ritual Procedure
• Silver Offerings
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it belongs to a ritual-dāna context, prescribing the making of silver fruit-replicas as part of a vow or offering.

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

It frames dāna as a graded duty—“according to one’s means” (śaktyā)—guiding householders (and rulers) to perform meritorious giving without financial strain while maintaining ritual completeness.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it specifies raupya (silver) as the material and enumerates fruit-types to be commissioned as offering-objects—useful for precise vrata performance and priestly documentation of prescribed gift-sets.