Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

शय्यां दद्यादनङ्गाय सर्वोपस्करसंयुताम् काञ्चनं कामदेवं च शुक्लां गां च पयस्विनीम् //

Transliteration

śayyāṃ dadyādanaṅgāya sarvopaskarasaṃyutām kāñcanaṃ kāmadevaṃ ca śuklāṃ gāṃ ca payasvinīm //

Translation

One should offer to Ananga (Kāma) a bed furnished with all its accessories, together with a golden image of Kāmadeva, and also a white cow that yields milk.

Word by Word

• śayyām: a bed

• dadyāt: one should give (as a gift)

• anaṅgāya: to Ananga (the bodiless one, i.e., Kāma)

• sarva-upaskara-saṃyutām: furnished with all accessories/appointments

• kāñcanam: golden (made of gold)

• kāmadevam: Kāmadeva (the god of desire)

• ca: and

• śuklām: white

• gām: cow

• ca: and

• payasvinīm: rich in milk, milk-giving.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Ananga (Kāma)
• Kāmadeva
• Go (Cow)

Tags

• Dāna
• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Ritual gifting
• Punya
• Kāma-devatā

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it focuses on dāna-dharma—meritorious gifting as a means of sustaining dharma and auspicious order in worldly life.

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

It prescribes a specific charitable act: a householder (and by extension a king as chief patron) should donate well-appointed comforts (a furnished bed), a valuable devotional object (a golden Kāmadeva), and a productive asset (a milk-giving cow), reflecting responsible wealth-use and ritual generosity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it outlines the proper constituents of a formal gift—completeness of the donated item (bed with accessories) and suitability of the offering (golden deity-image and a healthy, milk-yielding white cow).