Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — The Karmic Cause of Purūravas’ Beauty and Fortune

Devanagari script

*मनुर् उवाच चरितं बुधपुत्रस्य जनार्दन मया श्रुतम् श्रुतः श्राद्धविधिः पुण्यः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः //

Transliteration

*manur uvāca caritaṃ budhaputrasya janārdana mayā śrutam śrutaḥ śrāddhavidhiḥ puṇyaḥ sarvapāpapraṇāśanaḥ //

Translation

Manu said: “O Janārdana, I have heard the account of the son of Budha; and I have also heard the sacred procedure of Śrāddha—meritorious and destructive of all sins.”

Word by Word

• manuḥ uvāca: Manu said

• caritam: account, narrative, life-story

• budha-putrasya: of Budha’s son (i.e., Purūravas in the Purāṇic genealogies)

• janārdana: O Janārdana (Vishnu, addressed here as the divine teacher)

• mayā: by me

• śrutam: heard

• śrutaḥ: (it is) heard / has been heard (by me)

• śrāddha-vidhiḥ: the rite/procedure of Śrāddha (ancestral offering)

• puṇyaḥ: meritorious, holy

• sarva-pāpa-praṇāśanaḥ: destroying/dispelling all sins.

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Vaivasvata Manu
• Janardana (Vishnu/Lord Matsya as divine instructor)
• Budha
• Budha-putra (Pururavas)

Tags

• Shraddha
• RitualDharma
• PuranicGenealogy
• HouseholderDuties
• SinRemoval

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya directly; it functions as a transition into ritual-dharma, stating that the Śrāddha procedure is meritorious and removes sins.

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

By highlighting Śrāddha-vidhi as sin-destroying and meritorious, it frames ancestor rites as a key householder obligation (and a king’s public dharma as well), supporting social and ancestral continuity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it introduces Śrāddha-vidhi (ancestor-offering procedure) as a sanctifying act believed to erase sins; no Vāstu/temple-architecture rule is mentioned in this verse.