Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

पुनर् भोजनमध्वानं यानमायासमैथुनम् श्राद्धकृच्छ्राद्धभुक्चैव सर्वमेतद्विवर्जयेत् //

Transliteration

punar bhojanamadhvānaṃ yānamāyāsamaithunam śrāddhakṛcchrāddhabhukcaiva sarvametadvivarjayet //

Translation

Il faut éviter tout ce qui suit : manger une seconde fois, entreprendre un long voyage, monter en véhicule ou se déplacer ainsi, fournir un effort épuisant, avoir des rapports sexuels, pratiquer une austérité kṛcchra liée au Śrāddha, et manger la nourriture offerte lors d’un Śrāddha.

Word by Word

• punar: again

• bhojanam: eating/meal

• adhvānam: journey/long travel

• yānam: riding/going by conveyance

• āyāsa: fatigue, strenuous exertion

• maithunam: sexual intercourse

• śrāddha: ancestral rite

• kṛcchra: a penitential austerity/fast

• śrāddha-bhuk: one who eats the Śrāddha food/offerings

• ca eva: and indeed

• sarvam etat: all this

• vivarjayet: should avoid/should refrain from.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, as part of dharma-ācāra teaching)

Entities Mentioned

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (implied)

Tags

• Dharma
• Ācāra
• Śrāddha
• Ritual purity
• Householder duties

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it focuses on personal discipline and purity rules connected with Śrāddha (ancestral rites).

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

It gives ācāra (conduct) restrictions—avoiding repeat eating, travel, exertion, and sexual activity—so a householder (and by extension a ruler observing dharma) maintains ritual purity and mental steadiness when connected with Śrāddha observances.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it lists actions to be avoided in connection with Śrāddha, emphasizing restraint and purity; it has no direct Vāstu or temple-architecture instruction.