Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Pushkara Manifestation

Devanagari script

*श्रीभगवानुवाच यत्सत्यमक्षरं ब्रह्म ह्य् अष्टादशविधं तु तत् यत्सत्यं यदृतं तत्तु परं पदमनुस्मर //

Transliteration

*śrībhagavānuvāca yatsatyamakṣaraṃ brahma hy aṣṭādaśavidhaṃ tu tat yatsatyaṃ yadṛtaṃ tattu paraṃ padamanusmara //

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: “That which is Truth is the Imperishable Brahman; indeed, it is spoken of as eighteenfold. That which is Truth, that which is Ṛta (cosmic order)—remember that as the supreme state.”

Word by Word

• śrī-bhagavān uvāca: the Blessed Lord said

• yat: that which

• satyam: Truth, the Real

• akṣaram: imperishable, undecaying

• brahma: Brahman, absolute reality

• hi: indeed

• aṣṭādaśa-vidham: eighteenfold (in eighteen modes/aspects)

• tu: and/indeed

• tat: that

• yad: that which

• ṛtam: Ṛta, cosmic order/rightness

• tattu: that indeed

• param: supreme

• padam: state/abode/goal

• anusmara: remember, keep in recollection/meditate upon

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Śrī Bhagavān, instructing Manu in Brahma-vidyā)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahman (Akṣara Brahma)
• Satya
• Ṛta

Tags

• Brahma-vidya
• Satya
• Rta
• Meditation
• Moksha

FAQs

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

It points beyond pralaya: Satya/Ṛta as Akṣara Brahman is imperishable and remains unchanged even when worlds dissolve, making it the stable refuge amid cosmic cycles.

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

By grounding dharma in Satya and Ṛta: a king’s justice and a householder’s conduct are legitimized when aligned with truthfulness and cosmic order, remembered as the highest aim rather than mere expediency.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-rule instruction appears; however, the verse supplies the ritual-philosophical core—Satya and Ṛta—often invoked as the inner principle that should govern yajña, mantra-discipline, and sacred construction ethics.