Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — The Rite of the Vibhūti-Dvādaśī Vow

Devanagari script

गुडपात्रं तिलैर्युक्तं सितवस्त्राभिवेष्टितम् रात्रौ जागरणं कुर्याद् इतिहासकथादिना //

Transliteration

guḍapātraṃ tilairyuktaṃ sitavastrābhiveṣṭitam rātrau jāgaraṇaṃ kuryād itihāsakathādinā //

Translation

One should prepare a vessel of jaggery mixed with sesame seeds, wrap it in a white cloth, and keep a night-long vigil, passing the night with recitations of sacred histories and edifying narratives.

Word by Word

• guḍa-pātram: a vessel (offering) of jaggery

• tilaiḥ yuktaṃ: combined/mixed with sesame seeds

• sita-vastra: white cloth

• abhiveṣṭitam: wrapped/covered

• rātrau: at night

• jāgaraṇam: vigil, staying awake (religious wakefulness)

• kuryāt: should do/perform

• itihāsa-kathā-ādinā: by means of itihāsa stories and other (dharmic) narrations

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s vrata-vidhi in discourse form)

Entities Mentioned

• Tilā (sesame)
• Guḍa (jaggery)
• Itihāsa (sacred history)

Tags

• Vrata
• Dāna
• Upavāsa
• Jāgaraṇa
• Ritual

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to ritual observance (vrata) practice—specifically the discipline of night-vigil and devotional narration.

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

It gives a practical dharma guideline: a householder (and by extension a king setting public religious standards) should observe vrata with purity (white cloth), prescribed offerings (jaggery with sesame), and disciplined wakefulness supported by dharmic storytelling.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual, not architectural: preparing a specific naivedya/dāna-style offering (guḍa + tila), wrapping it in white cloth (śuddhi/auspiciousness), and performing jāgaraṇa with itihāsa-kathā as the approved devotional activity.