Matsya Purana — Ritual Bathing, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

अनुद्धृतैरुद्धृतैर्वा जलैः स्नानं समाचरेत् तीर्थं च कल्पयेद्विद्वान् मूलमन्त्रेण मन्त्रवित् नमो नारायणायेति मूलमन्त्र उदाहृतः //

Transliteration

anuddhṛtairuddhṛtairvā jalaiḥ snānaṃ samācaret tīrthaṃ ca kalpayedvidvān mūlamantreṇa mantravit namo nārāyaṇāyeti mūlamantra udāhṛtaḥ //

Translation

అనుద్ధృత (స్వాభావిక) జలముతో గాని, ఉద్ధృత (సేకరించిన) జలముతో గాని విధిగా స్నానం చేయాలి. మంత్రవిద్యలో నిపుణుడైన పండితుడు మూలమంత్రంతో తీర్థాన్ని కల్పించాలి. మూలమంత్రం ‘నమో నారాయణాయ’ అని ప్రకటించబడింది.

Word by Word

• अनुद्धृतैः: with undrawn/natural water

• उद्धृतैः: with drawn/collected water

• वा: or

• जलैः: with waters

• स्नानम्: bathing/ritual bath

• समाचरेत्: should perform properly

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/bathing place/pilgrimage-spot

• च: and

• कल्पयेत्: should establish/ritually form

• विद्वान्: a learned person

• मूलमन्त्रेण: with the root-mantra

• मन्त्रवित्: knower of mantras

• नमः: salutation/obeisance

• नारायणाय: to Nārāyaṇa (Vishnu)

• इति: thus

• मूलमन्त्रः: the root-mantra

• उदाहृतः: is stated/declared.

Speaker

• Suta (narrating Matsya Purana’s teaching; instruction attributed to the Matsya tradition of Vishnu/Narayana worship)

Entities Mentioned

• Narayana
• Mula-mantra
• Tirtha

Tags

• Snana
• Tirtha
• Mantra
• Narayana
• Ritual

FAQs

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

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.

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

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.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

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.