Shloka 19

Matsya Purana — The Madana-Dvādaśī Vow and the Birth of the Maruts

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणान्भोजयेद्भक्त्या स्वयं च लवणादृते भुक्त्या तु दक्षिणां दद्याद् इमं मन्त्रमुदीरयेत् //

Transliteration

brāhmaṇānbhojayedbhaktyā svayaṃ ca lavaṇādṛte bhuktyā tu dakṣiṇāṃ dadyād imaṃ mantramudīrayet //

Translation

One should feed the brāhmaṇas with devotion, and oneself should eat without salt. After the meal, one should give the dakṣiṇā (priestly fee) and then recite this mantra.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणान् (brāhmaṇān): the Brāhmaṇas

• भोजयेत् (bhojayet): should feed, should cause to dine

• भक्त्या (bhaktyā): with devotion, reverently

• स्वयं (svayaṃ): oneself

• च (ca): and

• लवणात् (lavaṇāt): from salt

• ऋते (ṛte): excluding, without

• भुक्त्या (bhuktyā): after eating/after the meal

• तु (tu): then/indeed

• दक्षिणाम् (dakṣiṇām): dakṣiṇā, honorarium/fee given to officiants

• दद्याद् (dadyāt): should give

• इमम् (imam): this

• मन्त्रम् (mantram): mantra

• उदीरयेत् (udīrayet): should utter, should recite.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Brāhmaṇas
• Dakṣiṇā

Tags

• Dharma
• Householder Duties
• Brāhmaṇa-bhojana
• Dakṣiṇā
• Ritual Procedure

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it focuses on dharma—proper ritual hospitality, self-restraint, and giving dakṣiṇā after feeding Brāhmaṇas.

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

It lays out a practical duty of the gṛhastha (and also a king as patron): feed Brāhmaṇas with devotion, practice austerity by avoiding salt oneself, and conclude the rite by giving dakṣiṇā and reciting the prescribed mantra.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual, not architectural: it specifies the sequence of brāhmaṇa-bhojana, personal dietary restraint (no salt), and the concluding act of dakṣiṇā accompanied by mantra-recitation.