Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — The Rite of Gifting the ‘Silver Mountain’

Devanagari script

इत्थं निवेद्य यो दद्याद् रजताचलमुत्तमम् गवामयुतदानस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः //

Transliteration

itthaṃ nivedya yo dadyād rajatācalamuttamam gavāmayutadānasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ //

Translation

Having thus duly offered and dedicated it with the proper statement, whoever donates an excellent “silver mountain” attains the very merit that arises from gifting ten thousand cows.

Word by Word

• itthaṃ: thus, in this manner

• nivedya: having presented/declared/dedicated (with due offering)

• yaḥ: whoever

• dadyāt: should give / gives (as a gift)

• rajata: of silver

• acalam: mountain (symbolic mound/replica)

• uttamam: excellent, best

• gavām: of cows

• ayuta: ten thousand

• dānasya: of the donation

• phalam: fruit, merit

• prāpnoti: attains, obtains

• mānavaḥ: a human being (the donor).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Dāna
• Ritual
• Punya
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it belongs to dāna-dharma, emphasizing how prescribed ritual gifting generates spiritual merit (puṇya).

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

It frames charitable giving as a key dharma for householders (and rulers), teaching that properly dedicated donations—here, a symbolic ‘silver mountain’—can yield merit equivalent to major gifts like donating ten thousand cows.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual cue is “nivedya” (formal dedication/announcement and offering). The ‘rajatācala’ implies a crafted, symbolic mountain-object used in donation rites rather than temple architecture rules.