Matsya Purana — Manvantaras, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

एते मन्त्रकृतो ज्ञेया वैश्यानां प्रवराः सदा इति द्विनवतिः प्रोक्ता मन्त्रायैश्च बहिष्कृताः //

Transliteration

ete mantrakṛto jñeyā vaiśyānāṃ pravarāḥ sadā iti dvinavatiḥ proktā mantrāyaiśca bahiṣkṛtāḥ //

Translation

Mereka ini hendaknya diketahui sebagai pravara kaum Vaiśya yang ditetapkan melalui mantra, senantiasa. Demikianlah sembilan puluh dua telah dinyatakan, dan mereka dikecualikan dari hak melafalkan mantra Weda.

Word by Word

• ete: these

• mantrakṛtaḥ: made/established by mantras (mantra-founded)

• jñeyāḥ: are to be known/understood

• vaiśyānām: of the Vaiśyas

• pravarāḥ: pravaras (ancestral seer-invocations used in rites)

• sadā: always

• iti: thus

• dvinavatiḥ: ninety-two

• proktā: have been stated/declared

• mantrāyaiḥ: from/with respect to mantras (i.e., Vedic mantra usage)

• ca: and

• bahiṣkṛtāḥ: excluded/kept out (disqualified).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaiśya
• Pravara
• Mantra

Tags

• Pravara
• Gotra
• Varna-dharma
• Ritual-eligibility
• Genealogy

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it focuses on ritual lineage-identifiers (pravara) and the stated restriction regarding Vedic mantra-recitation.

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

It frames how household rites (saṃskāras, śrāddha, and other ceremonies) should be performed with correct pravara identification and according to prescribed eligibility for mantra usage—guidance a king upholding dharma would enforce and a householder would follow.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: pravara functions as an ancestral seer-invocation used to authenticate one’s ritual identity in Vedic-style ceremonies, and the verse also states a limitation concerning mantra-adhikāra.