Shloka 27

Matsya Purana — The Observance of Ananta-Tritiya

Devanagari script

प्रतिपक्षं च मिथुनं तृतीयायां वरानने पूजयित्वार्चयेद्भक्त्या वस्त्रमाल्यानुलेपनैः //

Transliteration

pratipakṣaṃ ca mithunaṃ tṛtīyāyāṃ varānane pūjayitvārcayedbhaktyā vastramālyānulepanaiḥ //

Translation

O fair-faced lady, on the third lunar day (Tṛtīyā) one should first worship the complementary pair, and then, with devotion, offer reverent worship with garments, garlands, and fragrant unguents.

Word by Word

• प्रतिपक्षम्: the counterpart/opposite/complement

• च: and

• मिथुनम्: a pair/couple (paired deities)

• तृतीयायाम्: on the third (tithi), i.e., Tṛtīyā

• वरानने: O beautiful-faced lady

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped/after honoring

• अर्चयेत्: one should worship (ritually)

• भक्त्या: with devotion

• वस्त्र: garments/cloth

• माल्य: garlands/wreaths

• अनुलेपनैः: with unguents/anointing pastes (fragrant applications).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing a female interlocutor (varānane) within a ritual-instruction context

Entities Mentioned

• Tṛtīyā (lunar day)
• Mithuna (paired deities/couple)
• Ritual offerings (vastra, mālya, anulepana)

Tags

• Vrata
• Puja
• Tithi
• Ritual Offerings
• Devotional Worship

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on ritual procedure (pūjā-vidhi) for worship on the Tṛtīyā tithi, emphasizing devotional offerings.

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

It reflects the householder’s (and also a king’s) dharmic duty to observe tithi-based worship properly—honoring the deity (or paired deities) with prescribed offerings like cloth, garlands, and fragrant anointing.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it specifies a pūjā sequence (worship the complementary pair) and standard upacāras—vastra (garments), mālya (garlands), and anulepana (fragrant paste)—key elements of classical Puranic worship practice.