Matsya Purana — The Tale of Brahmadatta: Past-life Memory, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

विस्मयाच्छ्राद्धमाहात्म्यम् अभिनन्द्य पुनः पुनः ततस्तस्मै धनं दत्त्वा प्रभूतग्रामसंयुतम् //

Transliteration

vismayācchrāddhamāhātmyam abhinandya punaḥ punaḥ tatastasmai dhanaṃ dattvā prabhūtagrāmasaṃyutam //

Translation

ด้วยความพิศวง เขาสรรเสริญมหิมาแห่งพิธีศราทธะซ้ำแล้วซ้ำเล่า; แล้วจึงมอบทรัพย์อันมากมายพร้อมด้วยหมู่บ้านเป็นอันมากแก่ผู้นั้น.

Word by Word

• विस्मयात्: out of wonder/astonishment

• श्राद्ध-माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (spiritual efficacy) of śrāddha

• अभिनन्द्य: having praised/commended

• पुनः पुनः: again and again

• ततः: then/thereafter

• तस्मै: to him

• धनम्: wealth/treasure

• दत्त्वा: having given/bestowed

• प्रभूत: abundant/many

• ग्राम: villages

• संयुतम्: endowed with/accompanied by

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Śrāddha discourse (contextual narration in Matsya Purāṇa)

Entities Mentioned

• Śrāddha
• Dāna (charity)
• Grāma (villages)

Tags

• Śrāddha
• Pitṛ-dharma
• Dāna
• Ritual merit
• Householder duties

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it highlights the power (māhātmya) of śrāddha and the social-ritual outcome of rewarding the officiant or beneficiary with wealth and land.

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

It reflects the dharma of honouring śrāddha through praise, gratitude, and dāna—especially the ideal that a patron (often a king or wealthy householder) supports ritual specialists and dharmic acts with substantial gifts.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is śrāddha-māhātmya and dāna: acknowledging the rite’s efficacy and concluding it with appropriate gifting—here emphasized dramatically as wealth along with villages.