Matsya Purana — Code of Conduct and Vow-Procedure for Courtesans, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

एवं त्रयोदशं यावन् मासमेवं द्विजोत्तमान् तर्पयेत यथाकामं प्रोषिते ऽन्यं समाचरेत् //

Transliteration

evaṃ trayodaśaṃ yāvan māsamevaṃ dvijottamān tarpayeta yathākāmaṃ proṣite 'nyaṃ samācaret //

Translation

एवं त्रयोदशमासपर्यन्तं द्विजोत्तमान् यथाकामं यथाशक्ति तर्पयेत; प्रोषिते मुख्येऽन्यं योग्यं समाचरेत्।

Word by Word

• evam: thus, in this manner

• trayodaśam: thirteen (as a count)

• yāvat: as long as, up to

• māsam: for a month / for months (month as unit)

• dvijottamān: the best among the twice-born (Brahmins/qualified dvijas)

• tarpayet: should satisfy/propitiate by offering water-libations (tarpana)

• yathākāmam: as desired, according to one’s ability/wish

• proṣite: when (someone) has gone abroad/is away

• anyam: another (eligible person/alternate)

• samācaret: should duly perform/observe (the rite).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purāṇa’s instructions in a dharma/ritual context)

Entities Mentioned

• Dvija (twice-born)
• Tarpana

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Tarpana
• Pitṛkarma
• Dharma
• Ritual Procedure

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it focuses on dharma in the form of tarpana/ancestral rites and their observance over a prescribed period.

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

It frames a householder’s (and by extension a ruler’s) obligation to maintain ritual continuity—performing tarpana over a defined cycle and ensuring the rite is still carried out even if the principal person is away by appointing an eligible substitute.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: it prescribes the duration (up to thirteen months) and the contingency rule (if the intended person is absent, perform it with another qualified participant/recipient) for proper tarpana observance.