Matsya Purana — Pitṛ Worlds, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

यत्र बर्हिणयुक्तानि विमानानि सहस्रशः संकल्प्या बर्हिषो यत्र तिष्ठन्ति फलदायिनः //

Transliteration

yatra barhiṇayuktāni vimānāni sahasraśaḥ saṃkalpyā barhiṣo yatra tiṣṭhanti phaladāyinaḥ //

Translation

Là, par la seule volonté, apparaissent des milliers de vimānas, chars célestes ornés de plumes de paon ; et là les herbes rituelles barhis, disposées selon le rite, demeurent sans cesse comme dispensatrices de fruits (mérites).

Word by Word

• yatra: where

• barhiṇa-yuktāni: furnished/adorned with peacock(-feathers)

• vimānāni: celestial cars/aerial chariots

• sahasraśaḥ: by the thousands

• saṃkalpyā: willed into being/manifested by intention

• barhiṣaḥ: sacred sacrificial grass (kuśa spread as altar-seat)

• yatra: where

• tiṣṭhanti: stand/abide

• phala-dāyinaḥ: fruit-giving, bestowing results (merit/reward).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s account; the passage describes a heavenly/merit-bearing realm in the larger Matsya–Manu dialogue tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Vimanas
• Barhis (sacrificial grass)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Heavenly realms
• Ritual
• Merit (Phala)
• Vedic sacrifice

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe dissolution; instead it depicts a post-merit, celestial setting where desired objects (vimānas) manifest by saṅkalpa, implying a realm shaped by karmic and ritual merit beyond ordinary material constraints.

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

By highlighting barhis as “fruit-giving,” it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic that householders (and kings sponsoring rites) gain lasting merit through properly performed yajña and ritual discipline, which yields auspicious results symbolized here as celestial enjoyments.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, barhis refers to the consecrated sacrificial grass spread as a seat/altar element in yajñas; its correct arrangement is portrayed as inherently phala-dāyin (result-producing), underscoring precise ritual procedure as a generator of spiritual and heavenly outcomes.