Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — The Kauśika Descendants: Śrāddha

Devanagari script

तथैकमतिथिं कृत्वा श्राद्धदः स्वयमेव तु चकार मन्त्रवच्छ्राद्धं स्मरन्पितृपरायणः //

Transliteration

tathaikamatithiṃ kṛtvā śrāddhadaḥ svayameva tu cakāra mantravacchrāddhaṃ smaranpitṛparāyaṇaḥ //

Translation

Thus, having fixed a single proper tithi, the performer of the Śrāddha himself carried it out in accordance with the mantras, remembering the ancestors and devoted to the Pitṛs.

Word by Word

• tathā: thus

• eka-matithim: one (chosen) tithi/lunar date

• kṛtvā: having made/fixed

• śrāddha-daḥ: the giver/performer of śrāddha

• svayam eva: himself alone/indeed himself

• tu: and/indeed

• cakāra: performed/did

• mantra-vat: in the proper manner with mantras

• śrāddham: the śrāddha rite

• smaran: remembering/meditating upon

• pitṛ-parāyaṇaḥ: devoted to the ancestors (Pitṛs), intent on ancestral duty

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) reporting the conduct described in the Matsya Purana’s dharma-śrāddha context

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha
• Tithi
• Mantras

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ-dharma
• Ritual procedure
• Householder duties
• Matsya Purana dharma

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it focuses on dharma—specifically the correct performance of śrāddha on an appointed tithi with mantra-precision and remembrance of the Pitṛs.

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

It highlights pitṛkārya as a core duty: selecting an appropriate lunar day (tithi), performing śrāddha personally, and maintaining ancestral devotion—an ideal expected of householders and rulers alike in Purāṇic dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual (not architectural): śrāddha should be performed on a properly fixed tithi and executed “mantravat,” i.e., with correct Vedic/Purāṇic mantras and disciplined procedure.