Matsya Purana — Vrata-Ṣaṣṭhī: The Sixty Sacred Vows, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कृत्वोपलेपनं शम्भोर् अग्रतः केशवस्य च यावदब्दं पुनर्दद्याद् धेनुं जलघटान्विताम् //

Transliteration

kṛtvopalepanaṃ śambhor agrataḥ keśavasya ca yāvadabdaṃ punardadyād dhenuṃ jalaghaṭānvitām //

Translation

శంభు (శివుడు) మరియు కేశవ (విష్ణువు) సమక్షంలో ఉపలేపనం (శుద్ధి-లేపనం) చేసి, ఒక సంవత్సరం పాటు పునఃపునః జలఘటాలతో కూడిన ధేనువును దానం చేయాలి।

Word by Word

• kṛtvā: having done

• upalepanam: plastering/smearing (ritual coating, purification of a shrine/altar)

• śambhoḥ: of Śambhu, i.e., Śiva

• agrataḥ: in front of, in the presence of

• keśavasya: of Keśava, i.e., Viṣṇu

• ca: and

• yāvat-abdam: for as long as a year

• punaḥ: again, repeatedly

• dadyāt: one should give (as a gift)

• dhenum: a cow

• jala-ghaṭa-anvitām: accompanied by water-pots (pots filled for donation/ritual use).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, in the didactic narration style of the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)

Tags

• Dāna
• Vrata
• Ritual purification
• Śiva–Viṣṇu worship
• Merit (Puṇya)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it focuses on dharma-practice—ritual purification (upalepana) and sustained charity (cow and water-pot gifts) as a means to accrue merit.

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

It frames a practical householder/royal duty: maintain sacred spaces through purification rites and support society through recurring dāna—especially life-sustaining gifts like a cow and water (jala-ghaṭa) over a defined observance period (one year).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Upalepana indicates the ritual plastering/smearing of a shrine/altar—an act tied to cleanliness and sanctification of worship space—followed by prescribed donations (cow with water-pots) that complete the rite’s merit cycle.