Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

यज्ञप्रवर्तनं ह्येवम् आसीत्स्वायम्भुवे ऽन्तरे तदाप्रभृति यज्ञो ऽयं युगैः सार्धं प्रवर्तितः //

Transliteration

yajñapravartanaṃ hyevam āsītsvāyambhuve 'ntare tadāprabhṛti yajño 'yaṃ yugaiḥ sārdhaṃ pravartitaḥ //

Translation

Thus, the establishment of sacrificial worship (yajña) took place in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara; from that time onward, this yajña has continued to be carried on, age after age.

Word by Word

• yajña-pravartanam: the institution/setting in motion of yajña (sacrifice)

• hi: indeed

• evam: thus/in this manner

• āsīt: was/came to be

• svāyambhuve antare: in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara (the era of Svāyambhuva Manu)

• tadā-prabhṛti: from that time onward

• yajñaḥ ayam: this yajña/this sacrificial system

• yugaiḥ sārdham: along with the yugas, through the ages

• pravartitaḥ: has been maintained/continued/put into practice.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (continuing narration on primeval institutions)

Entities Mentioned

• Svayambhuva Manu
• Yajna

Tags

• Yajña
• Manvantara
• Ritual tradition
• Vedic continuity
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it emphasizes continuity—yajña is portrayed as an ancient institution established in the earliest Manvantara and sustained through successive yugas, implying dharma’s persistence even as cosmic ages change.

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

By presenting yajña as an age-spanning norm, the verse supports the Purāṇic view that rulers and householders uphold social order through sanctioned rites—supporting priests, maintaining ritual fires, and protecting dharmic practice as a public duty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is primarily ritual: it frames yajña as a foundational, continuously transmitted procedure across yugas, reinforcing the authority of prescribed sacrificial performance (yajña-pravṛtti) as a core religious discipline.