Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Kauśika Descendants: Śrāddha

Devanagari script

इति चिन्तयतां पापं लघुः प्राह तदानुजः यद्यवश्यमियं वध्या श्राद्धरूपेण योज्यताम् //

Transliteration

iti cintayatāṃ pāpaṃ laghuḥ prāha tadānujaḥ yadyavaśyamiyaṃ vadhyā śrāddharūpeṇa yojyatām //

Translation

As they were pondering over the sin involved, the younger brother Laghu spoke: “If indeed this one must inevitably be put to death, then let it be arranged in the form of a śrāddha-rite.”

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• cintayatām: of those reflecting/deliberating

• pāpam: sin, demerit, wrongful act

• laghuḥ: Laghu (proper name)

• prāha: said, spoke

• tad-anujaḥ: his younger brother

• yadi: if

• avaśyam: inevitably, certainly

• iyam: this (woman/person/being)

• vadhyā: to be slain, deserving death/punishable by death

• śrāddha-rūpeṇa: in the form/manner of śrāddha (ancestral/ritual offering rite)

• yojyatām: let it be arranged/ordained/applied.

Speaker

• Laghu (the younger brother in the narrative)

Entities Mentioned

• Laghu
• Śrāddha

Tags

• Prāyaścitta
• Śrāddha
• Dharma
• Ritual-ethics
• Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it focuses on ethical deliberation about sin and a proposed ritual framing (śrāddha) for an unavoidable act.

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

It reflects a dharmic principle relevant to rulers and householders alike: when a harsh action is deemed unavoidable, it should be handled with ritual propriety and awareness of pāpa, seeking a sanctioned framework (here, śrāddha) rather than acting impulsively.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is explicit: the act is to be “yojita” (formally arranged) as a śrāddha-rūpa—i.e., placed within the structure of a śrāddha rite, emphasizing procedural sanctification and prescribed offerings rather than any vāstu or temple-building rule.