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 hendaklah diketahui sebagai pravara bagi kaum Vaiśya, yang ditetapkan melalui mantra, sentiasa demikian. Maka, sembilan puluh dua telah dinyatakan; dan mereka dikecualikan daripada hak melafazkan mantra Veda (mantra-adhikāra).

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.