Matsya Purana — Sādhāraṇa Śrāddha: General Ancestral Rite, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

दानप्रधानः शूद्रः स्याद् इत्याह भगवान्प्रभुः दानेन सर्वकामाप्तिर् अस्य संजायते यतः //

Transliteration

dānapradhānaḥ śūdraḥ syād ityāha bhagavānprabhuḥ dānena sarvakāmāptir asya saṃjāyate yataḥ //

Translation

ଭଗବାନ୍ ପ୍ରଭୁ କହିଛନ୍ତି—ଶୂଦ୍ର ପାଇଁ ଦାନ ହିଁ ପ୍ରଧାନ ଧର୍ମ; କାରଣ ଦାନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତାହାର ସମସ୍ତ କାମ୍ୟ ଫଳର ସିଦ୍ଧି ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• dāna-pradhānaḥ: one for whom giving/charity is primary

• śūdraḥ: a person of the Śūdra varṇa

• syāt: should be/is to be

• iti: thus

• āha: said/declared

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• prabhuḥ: the sovereign/master

• dānena: by means of giving/charity

• sarva-kāma-āptiḥ: attainment of all desired objects/goals

• asya: for him/of him

• saṃjāyate: is produced/arises

• yataḥ: because/since

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) teaching Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s dharma instruction sections)

Entities Mentioned

• Bhagavān
• Prabhu
• Śūdra
• Dāna

Tags

• Dharma
• Dāna
• Varṇāśrama
• Ethics
• Merit (Puṇya)

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is ethical instruction (dharma) focused on the spiritual and worldly fruit of charity, not on pralaya cosmology.

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

It promotes dāna as a central virtue: householders are urged to practice regulated giving, and kings—who model dharma publicly—are expected to encourage and support charitable distribution as a means to welfare and merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is that dāna itself is treated as a potent dharmic act yielding both puṇya and the fulfillment of aims.