Shloka 84

Matsya Purana — Vrata-Ṣaṣṭhī: The Sixty Sacred Vows

Devanagari script

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि व्रतषष्टिम् अनुत्तमाम् मन्वन्तरशतं सो ऽपि गन्धर्वाधिपतिर्भवेत् //

Transliteration

yaḥ paṭhecchṛṇuyādvāpi vrataṣaṣṭim anuttamām manvantaraśataṃ so 'pi gandharvādhipatirbhavet //

Translation

Whoever recites—or even listens to—this unsurpassed set of sixty sacred observances (vratas), that person too becomes a lord among the Gandharvas for a hundred Manvantaras.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: whoever

• paṭhet: should recite/reads

• chṛṇuyāt: should hear/listens

• vā api: or even

• vrata-ṣaṣṭim: the sixty vratas (set of sixty vows/observances)

• anuttamām: unsurpassed, most excellent

• manvantara-śatam: for a hundred Manvantaras (hundred cosmic epochs of Manus)

• saḥ api: he too

• gandharva-adhipatiḥ: overlord/king of the Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• bhavet: becomes

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) to Vaivasvata Manu (context: concluding merit statement for the vrata section)

Entities Mentioned

• Gandharvas
• Manvantara

Tags

• Vrata
• Phalaśruti
• Dharma
• Punya
• Manvantara

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses the cosmic time unit “Manvantara” to express an extraordinarily long-lasting reward for devotional recitation or listening.

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

It elevates śravaṇa (listening) and pāṭha (recitation) of dharma teachings as accessible duties for householders and rulers alike, promising spiritual merit even without complex ritual performance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The focus is ritual-observance (vrata) and its phala (result), not Vāstu; the key takeaway is that engaging with the vrata-teachings through recitation/hearing itself is treated as a potent dharmic act.