Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Rite and Glory of Meru-Dāna: The Tenfold ‘Gift of Meru’ and Mountain-Offe...

Devanagari script

धान्यद्रोणसहस्रेण भवेद्गिरिरिहोत्तमः मध्यमः पञ्चशतिकः कनिष्ठः स्यात् त्रिभिः शतैः //

Transliteration

dhānyadroṇasahasreṇa bhavedgiririhottamaḥ madhyamaḥ pañcaśatikaḥ kaniṣṭhaḥ syāt tribhiḥ śataiḥ //

Translation

Here, a mountain-like heap of grain is deemed best when it amounts to a thousand droṇas; a middling one is five hundred; and the least is three hundred (droṇas).

Word by Word

• dhānya: grain

• droṇa: a traditional measure of capacity (dry measure)

• sahasreṇa: by/with a thousand

• bhavet: becomes/is regarded as

• giriḥ: a mountain (i.e., a huge heap)

• iha: here/in this rite or context

• uttamaḥ: best/supreme

• madhyamaḥ: middling/medium

• pañcaśatikaḥ: consisting of five hundred

• kaniṣṭhaḥ: least/inferior

• syāt: would be/is to be

• tribhiḥ: by/with three

• śataiḥ: hundreds

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within a dharma-teaching dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Droṇa (measure)
• Dhānya (grain)

Tags

• Dāna
• Dharma
• Ritual giving
• Measures
• Matsya Purana charity rules

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it classifies the sizes of grain-donations (dhānya-dāna) using the droṇa measure and ranks them as best, middling, and least.

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

It provides a practical dharma guideline: householders (and kings as chief patrons) should perform charity with clear standards—here, specifying graded quantities of grain for meritorious giving.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual and administrative: it standardizes donation amounts (in droṇas) for a prescribed offering of grain, helping ensure consistent, auditable religious gifts rather than temple-architecture rules.