Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — The Legend of Acchodā: Pitṛloka

Devanagari script

अच्छोदाधोमुखी दीना लज्जिता तपसः क्षयात् सा पितॄन् प्रार्थयामास पुरे चात्मप्रसिद्धये //

Transliteration

acchodādhomukhī dīnā lajjitā tapasaḥ kṣayāt sā pitṝn prārthayāmāsa pure cātmaprasiddhaye //

Translation

Acchodā, downcast and facing downward, wretched and ashamed because her tapas (austerity) had been exhausted, implored the Pitṛs (ancestral Fathers) in the city, seeking relief and her own good repute.

Word by Word

• अच्छोदा (Acchodā): a woman named Acchodā

• अधोमुखी (adhomukhī): with face lowered, downcast

• दीना (dīnā): distressed, miserable

• लज्जिता (lajjitā): ashamed, abashed

• तपसः (tapasaḥ): of austerity/penance

• क्षयात् (kṣayāt): due to depletion, from exhaustion

• सा (sā): she

• पितॄन् (pitṝn): the Pitṛs, ancestral spirits/fathers

• प्रार्थयामास (prārthayāmāsa): begged, entreated

• पुरे (pure): in the city

• च (ca): and

• आत्मप्रसिद्धये (ātmaprasiddhaye): for her own recognition/fame, for establishing her name.

Speaker

• Primary narrator (Sūta-type Purāṇic narration), within the Matsya Purana’s ongoing dialogue framework

Entities Mentioned

• Acchodā
• Pitṛs (ancestral Fathers)

Tags

• Pitṛ
• Śrāddha
• Tapas
• Dharma
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on human suffering and the recourse to the Pitṛs when personal spiritual power (tapas) is depleted.

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

By foregrounding the Pitṛs, it aligns with the householder’s duty to honor ancestors through Śrāddha and Pitṛ-tarpaṇa—practices believed to restore order, merit, and social well-being when one’s own resources are insufficient.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is Pitṛ-invocation: the verse presents prayer to the ancestors as an efficacious religious act; no Vāstu or temple-building detail is stated in this line.