Matsya Purana — Sādhāraṇa Śrāddha: General Ancestral Rite, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

अग्निदग्धास्तु ये जीवा ये ऽप्यदग्धाः कुले मम भूमौ दत्तेन तृप्यन्तु प्रयान्तु परमां गतिम् //

Transliteration

agnidagdhāstu ye jīvā ye 'pyadagdhāḥ kule mama bhūmau dattena tṛpyantu prayāntu paramāṃ gatim //

Translation

我が系譜の衆生のうち、火によって荼毘に付された者も、また荼毘に付されなかった者も、この土地の施与によって満たされ、至上の境地へと赴かんことを。

Word by Word

• agnidagdhāḥ: burned by fire/cremated

• tu: indeed

• ye: who

• jīvāḥ: beings (departed souls)

• ye api: and also those who

• adagdhāḥ: not burned/not cremated

• kule: in the lineage/family

• mama: my

• bhūmau: land/ground

• dattena: by what is given (by the gift)

• tṛpyantu: may they be satisfied/appeased

• prayāntu: may they go forth/attain

• paramām: highest/supreme

• gatim: destination/state

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (ritual petitioner/householder voice within the śrāddha-dāna context)

Entities Mentioned

• Agni
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Kula (lineage)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Dāna
• Pitṛ-tarpaṇa
• Afterlife
• Householder Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic pralaya; it focuses on post-death welfare—how merit from bhūmi-dāna can aid departed beings of one’s lineage, regardless of whether cremation rites were completed.

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

It frames a core duty of the gṛhastha (and by extension a righteous king): supporting ancestral rites through dāna. Bhūmi-dāna is presented as a high-impact gift whose merit is directed to the family’s departed, aiming at their satisfaction and higher passage.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights bhūmi-dāna (gift of land) as a potent śrāddha-associated offering; architecturally it is indirect, but land-gift underpins sacred works (temples, āśramas, ritual grounds) that generate enduring merit transferable to pitṛs.