Shloka 74

Matsya Purana — Vrata-Ṣaṣṭhī: The Sixty Sacred Vows

Devanagari script

निशि कृत्वा जले वासं प्रभाते गोप्रदो भवेत् वारुणं लोकमाप्नोति वरुणव्रतमुच्यते //

Transliteration

niśi kṛtvā jale vāsaṃ prabhāte goprado bhavet vāruṇaṃ lokamāpnoti varuṇavratamucyate //

Translation

Having spent the night dwelling in water, one should, at dawn, give a cow in charity. He attains Varuṇa’s realm; this observance is called the Varuṇa-vrata (vow of Varuṇa).

Word by Word

• निशि (niśi): at night

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done, having performed

• जले (jale): in water

• वासम् (vāsaṃ): dwelling, staying

• प्रभाते (prabhāte): at dawn

• गो-प्रदः (go-pradaḥ): a giver of a cow (cow-donor)

• भवेत् (bhavet): should become/should be

• वारुणम् (vāruṇam): belonging to Varuṇa, Varuṇa’s

• लोकम् (lokam): world/realm

• आप्नोति (āpnoti): attains

• वरुण-व्रतम् (varuṇa-vratam): Varuṇa-vow

• उच्यते (ucyate): is called

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within a dharma/vrata teaching context)

Entities Mentioned

• Varuṇa

Tags

• Vrata
• Dāna
• Ritual purity
• Varuṇa
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it teaches a ritual vow (Varuṇa-vrata) where water-austerity and cow-donation lead to attaining Varuṇa’s realm.

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

It frames dharma as disciplined observance and charity: a householder (and by extension a king) practices restraint (night in water) and public beneficence (go-dāna) to gain religious merit and auspicious posthumous attainments.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual, not architectural: a prescribed vrata-vidhi involving nighttime water-dwelling (austerity/purification) followed by dawn-time cow donation, culminating in the promised fruit of reaching Varuṇa-loka.