Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — The Greatness of Mount Kārpāsa and the Rite of the ‘Kārpāsa-Śailendra’

Devanagari script

*ईश्वर उवाच अथातः सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि कार्पासाचलमुत्तमम् यत्प्रदानान्नरो नित्यम् आप्नोति परमं पदम् //

Transliteration

*īśvara uvāca athātaḥ sampravakṣyāmi kārpāsācalamuttamam yatpradānānnaro nityam āpnoti paramaṃ padam //

Translation

The Lord said: Now I shall fully declare the supreme Mount Kārpāsa; by making offerings there, a man indeed unfailingly attains the highest state.

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord

• uvāca: said

• atha-ataḥ: now, therefore

• sampravakṣyāmi: I shall explain in full

• kārpāsa-acalam: Mount Kārpāsa

• uttamam: most excellent/supreme

• yat-pradānāt: by the giving/offerings made there (by that act of donation)

• naraḥ: a person/man

• nityam: always/unfailingly

• āpnoti: attains

• paramam padam: the supreme abode/highest state (mokṣa).

Speaker

• Īśvara (Lord Matsya/Vishnu in discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Īśvara
• Kārpāsācala

Tags

• Dana
• Tirtha
• Moksha
• Mahatmya
• Punya

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it introduces a sacred-place (tīrtha) teaching, emphasizing that offerings (dāna) connected with Kārpāsācala lead to the highest spiritual attainment.

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

It frames dāna (charitable giving) as a steady duty (nityam) for householders and rulers alike—supporting dharma through regular offerings and thereby aiming at the ‘paramaṃ padam’ (highest goal).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is the primacy of ‘pradāna/dāna’ (offerings) at a specific sacred locale (Kārpāsācala); architectural rules are not stated in this opening verse but may follow in the chapter’s tīrtha-vidhi context.