Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — The Kalyāṇa-Saptamī

Devanagari script

*ब्रह्मोवाच भगवन् भवसंसारसागरोत्तारकारक किंचिद्व्रतं समाचक्ष्व स्वर्गारोग्यसुखप्रदम् //

Transliteration

*brahmovāca bhagavan bhavasaṃsārasāgarottārakāraka kiṃcidvrataṃ samācakṣva svargārogyasukhapradam //

Translation

Brahmā said: “O Blessed Lord, you who cause beings to cross the ocean of saṃsāra, please describe some vow (vrata) that bestows heaven, health, and happiness.”

Word by Word

• brahmā uvāca: Brahmā said

• bhagavan: O Lord, O Blessed One

• bhava-saṃsāra-sāgara: the ocean of worldly existence and repeated becoming

• uttāra-kāraka: the cause/agent of crossing over (liberation from)

• kiṃcit: some, any

• vratam: vow, religious observance

• samācakṣva: please tell, explain fully

• svarga: heaven

• ārogya: health, freedom from disease

• sukha: happiness, well-being

• pradam: bestowing, granting

Speaker

• Brahmā

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmā
• Bhagavān (the Lord, likely Lord Matsya/Vishnu in dialogue context)

Tags

• Vrata
• Dharma
• Ritual
• Merit (Puṇya)
• Well-being

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it frames the Lord as the one who helps beings cross saṃsāra (the cyclical flow of existence), a liberation-oriented theme often contrasted with cosmic cycles like creation and dissolution.

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

It introduces vrata-dharma—disciplined religious observances sought for both worldly welfare (health, happiness) and higher ends (svarga), aligning with the Purāṇic guidance that householders and rulers sustain order through regulated vows and pious conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No architectural (Vāstu/temple-building) detail appears here; the ritual significance is the explicit request for a specific vrata, indicating the chapter’s focus on prescribed observances and their promised results.