Matsya Purana — Vrata-Ṣaṣṭhī: The Sixty Sacred Vows, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

सकृद्वितानकं कुर्यात् तृतीयायां शिवालये समान्ते धेनुदो याति भवानीव्रतमुच्यते //

Transliteration

sakṛdvitānakaṃ kuryāt tṛtīyāyāṃ śivālaye samānte dhenudo yāti bhavānīvratamucyate //

Translation

On the third lunar day, one should set up a ceremonial canopy (vitāna) once in Śiva’s temple; at the conclusion, one should gift a cow. This is declared to be the Bhavānī-vrata.

Word by Word

• sakṛt: once

• vitānakam: a canopy/ritual pavilion covering

• kuryāt: should make/arrange

• tṛtīyāyām: on the third day (tithi)

• śivālaye: in the temple of Śiva

• samānte: at the end/upon completion

• dhenu-daḥ: a giver of a cow (one who donates a cow)

• yāti: goes/attains (merit)

• bhavānī-vratam: the vow/observance of Bhavānī (Pārvatī)

• ucyate: is said/declared

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Śiva
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)

Tags

• Vrata
• Dana
• TempleRitual
• Dharma
• ShaivaShakta

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it prescribes a devotional vow (Bhavānī-vrata) performed in a Śiva temple, emphasizing ritual observance and concluding charity.

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

It frames dharma as disciplined worship plus dāna: a householder (and by extension a ruler) should complete religious observances properly and seal them with generosity—here, the meritorious gift of a cow.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key ritual element is the vitānaka—setting up a ceremonial canopy/pavilion within the Śiva temple—indicating formal, temple-based worship procedures connected to vrata performance and its prescribed concluding gift.