Matsya Purana — The Rite of Gifting the ‘Silver Mountain’, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इत्थं निवेद्य यो दद्याद् रजताचलमुत्तमम् गवामयुतदानस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः //

Transliteration

itthaṃ nivedya yo dadyād rajatācalamuttamam gavāmayutadānasya phalaṃ prāpnoti mānavaḥ //

Translation

Après l’avoir ainsi offert et consacré selon la formule rituelle, quiconque fait don d’une excellente « montagne d’argent » obtient le mérite même qui résulte du don de dix mille vaches.

Word by Word

• itthaṃ: thus, in this manner

• nivedya: having presented/declared/dedicated (with due offering)

• yaḥ: whoever

• dadyāt: should give / gives (as a gift)

• rajata: of silver

• acalam: mountain (symbolic mound/replica)

• uttamam: excellent, best

• gavām: of cows

• ayuta: ten thousand

• dānasya: of the donation

• phalam: fruit, merit

• prāpnoti: attains, obtains

• mānavaḥ: a human being (the donor).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Dāna
• Ritual
• Punya
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it belongs to dāna-dharma, emphasizing how prescribed ritual gifting generates spiritual merit (puṇya).

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

It frames charitable giving as a key dharma for householders (and rulers), teaching that properly dedicated donations—here, a symbolic ‘silver mountain’—can yield merit equivalent to major gifts like donating ten thousand cows.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual cue is “nivedya” (formal dedication/announcement and offering). The ‘rajatācala’ implies a crafted, symbolic mountain-object used in donation rites rather than temple architecture rules.