Shloka 23

Matsya Purana — The Rite of the Jaggery-Cow

Devanagari script

गुडधेनुप्रसङ्गेन सर्वास्तावन्मयोदिताः अशेषयज्ञफलदाः सर्वाः पापहराः शुभाः //

Transliteration

guḍadhenuprasaṅgena sarvāstāvanmayoditāḥ aśeṣayajñaphaladāḥ sarvāḥ pāpaharāḥ śubhāḥ //

Translation

In connection with the guḍa-dhenu (the “jaggery-cow”), I have thus described them all. Each of these gifts bestows the full fruit of sacrifices (yajñas), removes sins, and is auspicious.

Word by Word

• guḍa: jaggery (unrefined sugar)

• dhenu: cow

• prasaṅgena: in the course of / by occasion of

• sarvāḥ: all (of them)

• tāvat: thus far / to this extent

• mayā: by me

• uditāḥ: spoken / explained

• aśeṣa: complete, without remainder

• yajña: sacrifice

• phala-dāḥ: giving the fruit/results

• sarvāḥ: all

• pāpa-harāḥ: sin-removing

• śubhāḥ: auspicious, beneficent

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Guḍa-dhenu
• Yajña

Tags

• Dāna
• Householder Dharma
• Yajña-Phala
• Merit
• Sin-removal

FAQs

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

Nothing directly about pralaya is taught here; the verse is a concluding statement on dāna (charitable gifts), emphasizing their auspiciousness and sin-destroying power.

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

It supports the householder/kingly duty of dāna by asserting that properly described gifts can yield the complete merit of yajñas—making charity a practical, dharmic means to uphold social and spiritual welfare.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is phala-śruti: these prescribed donations (introduced via the guḍa-dhenu topic) are declared equivalent in result to sacrifices, reinforcing dāna as a sanctioned ritual substitute or support for yajña.