Shloka 2
Matsya Purana — Ritual Bathing
अनुद्धृतैरुद्धृतैर्वा जलैः स्नानं समाचरेत् तीर्थं च कल्पयेद्विद्वान् मूलमन्त्रेण मन्त्रवित् नमो नारायणायेति मूलमन्त्र उदाहृतः //
anuddhṛtairuddhṛtairvā jalaiḥ snānaṃ samācaret tīrthaṃ ca kalpayedvidvān mūlamantreṇa mantravit namo nārāyaṇāyeti mūlamantra udāhṛtaḥ //
Seseorang hendaklah melaksanakan mandi ritual dengan tertib, menggunakan air yang tidak dicedok (air semula jadi) atau air yang dicedok dan dikumpulkan. Orang berilmu yang mahir mantra hendaklah juga membentuk secara ritual suatu tempat suci untuk mandi (tīrtha) dengan mūla-mantra. Mūla-mantra itu dinyatakan sebagai: “namo nārāyaṇāya” (“Sembah sujud kepada Nārāyaṇa”).
FAQs
This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it focuses on purification through snāna and sanctifying a tīrtha via devotion to Nārāyaṇa, implying that ritual purity and remembrance of Vishnu remain central across cosmic cycles.
It supports daily dharma through bodily and ritual purification: a householder (and likewise a king as exemplar) should perform proper bathing and maintain devotion by using the mūla-mantra “namo nārāyaṇāya,” reinforcing disciplined religious practice.
Ritually, it authorizes creating/defining a tīrtha (a sanctified bathing spot) through mantra—showing that sacred space can be consecrated by correct procedure and mantra-knowledge, a principle aligned with broader Puranic consecration practices.