Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — The Origin of Yajña in Tretā Yuga and the Debate on Animal Sacrifice vs. Non-...

Devanagari script

विधिदृष्टेन यज्ञेन धर्मेणाव्यसनेन तु यज्ञबीजैः सुरश्रेष्ठ त्रिवर्गपरिमोषितैः //

Transliteration

vidhidṛṣṭena yajñena dharmeṇāvyasanena tu yajñabījaiḥ suraśreṣṭha trivargaparimoṣitaiḥ //

Translation

O best of the gods, by a yajña performed according to the ordained rule—through dharma and a life free from vice—and by employing the “seeds of sacrifice,” namely the proper ritual means that secure the three aims of life, one attains the full fruit of dharma, artha, and kāma.

Word by Word

• vidhi-dṛṣṭena: as prescribed by rule/ritual injunction

• yajñena: by sacrifice

• dharmeṇa: by righteousness/through dharma

• avyasanena: by freedom from vices/addictions/misconduct

• tu: and/indeed

• yajña-bījaiḥ: by the seeds/means of sacrifice (offerings, mantras, fees, correct procedure)

• sura-śreṣṭha: O best among the gods

• tri-varga: the three human aims (dharma, artha, kāma)

• parimoṣitaiḥ: that secure/bring about/fully obtain (lit. “thoroughly procure”).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (with honorific phrasing such as ‘suraśreṣṭha’ used in the discourse style)

Entities Mentioned

• Yajña
• Dharma
• Trivarga (Dharma-Artha-Kāma)

Tags

• Yajna
• Dharma
• Trivarga
• Ritual Procedure
• Ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya directly; it teaches that properly performed yajña, grounded in dharma and a vice-free life, yields worldly and moral attainments (the trivarga).

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

It frames a core duty: perform sacrifices strictly by injunction (vidhi), uphold dharma, and avoid vyasana (vices). For kings and householders, this links personal discipline and public religious rites to legitimate prosperity and enjoyment under dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual (not architectural): the verse stresses vidhidṛṣṭa-yajña—correct procedure, proper offerings/mantras/dakṣiṇā (“yajñabīja”)—as the condition for obtaining the full fruits of the trivarga.