Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — The Rite of Donating the ‘Mountain of Ghee’

Devanagari script

*ईश्वर उवाच अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि घृताचलमनुत्तमम् तेजो ऽमृतमयं दिव्यं महापातकनाशनम् //

Transliteration

*īśvara uvāca ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi ghṛtācalamanuttamam tejo 'mṛtamayaṃ divyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam //

Translation

The Lord said: “Now I shall declare the unsurpassed Ghṛtācala—divine, radiant, made of deathless essence, and a destroyer of the gravest sins.”

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord

• uvāca: said

• ataḥ param: hereafter/next

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall expound

• ghṛtācalam: Ghṛtācala (lit. ‘the ghee-mountain’, a sacred place/holy power)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed

• tejaḥ: radiance/splendor

• amṛtamayam: consisting of immortality/nectar-like deathless essence

• divyam: divine

• mahāpātaka-nāśanam: destroyer of great sins (mahāpātakas)

Speaker

• Īśvara (the Lord; in Matsya Purana discourse-context often identified with Lord Matsya/Vishnu speaking to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Īśvara
• Ghṛtācala
• Mahāpātaka

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Vrata
• Punya
• Sin-removal
• Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it introduces a sacred topic (Ghṛtācala) characterized as “deathless” and “divine,” emphasizing spiritual purification rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It frames a dharmic remedy: rulers and householders burdened by wrongdoing or ritual lapses are directed toward sanctioned purificatory means (tīrtha/vrata) that the text claims can neutralize even major sins.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is primary: Ghṛtācala is presented as a supremely efficacious sacred power/place tied to purification (mahāpātaka-nāśana). No specific Vāstu or temple-building rule appears in this opening verse.