Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Sarasvata Vrata: Vow for Sweet Speech

Devanagari script

संध्यायां च तथा मौनम् एतत्कुर्वन्समाचरेत् नान्तरा भोजनं कुर्याद् यावन्मासास्त्रयोदश //

Transliteration

saṃdhyāyāṃ ca tathā maunam etatkurvansamācaret nāntarā bhojanaṃ kuryād yāvanmāsāstrayodaśa //

Translation

At the times of sandhyā—the daily twilight worship—he should also observe silence; practicing these disciplines, he should live accordingly. He should not eat between meals for as long as thirteen months.

Word by Word

• saṃdhyāyām: at sandhyā-times (dawn/dusk worship)

• ca: and

• tathā: likewise/also

• maunam: silence (vow of silence)

• etat: this (discipline)

• kurvan: doing/practicing

• samācaret: should duly observe/should conduct himself

• na: not

• antarā: in-between/at intervals

• bhojanam: eating/food

• kuryāt: should do

• yāvat: as long as/until

• māsāḥ: months

• trayodaśa: thirteen

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (vrata/niyama teaching context)

Entities Mentioned

• Sandhyā
• Mauna

Tags

• Dharma
• Vrata
• Niyama
• Sandhyā-vandana
• Fasting rules

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it focuses on vrata-discipline—sandhyā observance, mauna, and regulated eating over a fixed period.

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

It prescribes self-restraint and daily religious discipline (sandhyā and mauna) along with controlled diet—practices that a householder (and a king as a model of dharma) can adopt to cultivate steadiness, purity, and rule-based living.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it emphasizes sandhyā practice, the vow of silence, and a strict rule against eating between meals for thirteen months—key elements in Matsya Purana-style vrata observance.