Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

फलमेकं च संप्राश्य द्वादश्यां भूतले स्वपेत् ततस्त्रयोदशे मासि धृतधेनुसमन्विताम् //

Transliteration

phalamekaṃ ca saṃprāśya dvādaśyāṃ bhūtale svapet tatastrayodaśe māsi dhṛtadhenusamanvitām //

Translation

Having eaten a single fruit, on Dvādaśī, the twelfth lunar day, one should sleep upon the ground. Then, on the Trayodaśī observance of that month, one should make the prescribed gift together with a cow duly prepared and ritually appointed.

Word by Word

• फलम् (phalam): fruit

• एकम् (ekam): one/single

• च (ca): and

• संप्राश्य (saṃprāśya): having eaten/partaken

• द्वादश्याम् (dvādaśyām): on Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)

• भूतले (bhūtale): on the ground

• स्वपेत् (svapet): should sleep

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereafter

• त्रयोदशे (trayodaśe): on Trayodaśī (13th lunar day)

• मासि (māsi): in the month

• धृतधेनु-समन्विताम् (dhṛtadhenu-samanvitām): accompanied by a ‘dhṛta-dhenu’—a properly arranged/ritually qualified cow (for dana), together with its required appurtenances.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Dvadashi
• Trayodashi
• Dhenu (cow)

Tags

• Vrata
• Dharma
• Upavasa
• Dana
• Vaishnava observance

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to vrata-dharma, prescribing austerity (sleeping on the ground) and dana (gift-giving) on specific lunar days.

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

It outlines a householder-style discipline: restrained diet (one fruit), bodily austerity (ground-sleep), and charitable giving (cow-dana) timed to Dvādaśī–Trayodaśī, reflecting regulated living and support of dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it gives a vrata sequence tied to lunar tithis and culminates in a formal dana involving a ritually prepared cow (dhenu) as part of the observance.