Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

विधानं सर्वशैलानां क्रमशः शृणु नारद दानकाले च ये मन्त्राः पर्वतेषु च यत्फलम् //

Transliteration

vidhānaṃ sarvaśailānāṃ kramaśaḥ śṛṇu nārada dānakāle ca ye mantrāḥ parvateṣu ca yatphalam //

Translation

Listen in due order, O Nārada, to the complete procedure for (donating) all sacred mountains—together with the mantras to be recited at the time of gifting, and the spiritual results obtained from each mountain-gift.

Word by Word

• vidhānam: procedure/ritual method

• sarva-śailānām: of all mountains (śaila = mountain)

• kramaśaḥ: sequentially, in order

• śṛṇu: hear, listen

• nārada: O Nārada

• dāna-kāle: at the time of donation

• ca: and

• ye: which

• mantrāḥ: mantras, sacred formulas

• parvateṣu: regarding the mountains / in the case of mountain(-gifts)

• ca: and

• yat: which/that

• phalam: fruit, merit, result

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) addressing Śaunaka’s assembly; within the narrative, the instruction is framed as being told to Nārada

Entities Mentioned

• Nārada

Tags

• Dana
• Ritual
• Mantra
• Merit
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya directly; it introduces a structured teaching on donation-rituals (dāna), specifying that mantras and resulting merits for “mountain-gifts” will be explained in sequence.

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

It frames dāna as a disciplined duty: the giver should follow proper procedure (vidhāna), recite appropriate mantras at the time of giving, and understand the intended religious merit—an ethical model especially relevant to householders and rulers who sponsor public and sacred gifts.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it emphasizes that gifts (here, symbolic “mountains”) are not merely material but mantra-governed acts; correct recitation and prescribed steps are essential to the efficacy (phala) of the rite—paralleling how Vastu/temple acts also depend on precise injunctions and mantras.