Matsya Purana — Vrata-Ṣaṣṭhī: The Sixty Sacred Vows, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

आषाढादिचतुर्मासं प्रातःस्नायी भवेन्नरः विप्रेषु भोजनं दद्यात् कार्त्तिक्यां गोप्रदो भवेत् स वैष्णवं पदं याति विष्णुव्रतमिदं शुभम् //

Transliteration

āṣāḍhādicaturmāsaṃ prātaḥsnāyī bhavennaraḥ vipreṣu bhojanaṃ dadyāt kārttikyāṃ goprado bhavet sa vaiṣṇavaṃ padaṃ yāti viṣṇuvratamidaṃ śubham //

Translation

آषاڑھ سے شروع ہونے والے چار مہینوں تک آدمی صبح سویرے غسل کرے، برہمنوں کو بھوجن دان دے، اور کارتک میں گائے کا دان کرے۔ وہ ویشنو پد (وشنو کا دھام) پاتا ہے۔ یہ مبارک وشنو ورت ہے۔

Word by Word

• आषाढादि-चतुर्मासम्: the four-month period beginning with Āṣāḍha (Cāturmāsya)

• प्रातः-स्नायी: one who bathes in the morning (at dawn)

• भवेत् नरः: a man should become/should be

• विप्रेषु: to/for Brahmins

• भोजनम्: food, a meal

• दद्यात्: should give

• कार्त्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārttika

• गो-प्रदः: giver of a cow (one who donates a cow)

• भवेत्: should be/becomes

• सः: he

• वैष्णवम् पदम्: the Vaiṣṇava state/abode (Viṣṇu’s realm)

• याति: goes/attains

• विष्णु-व्रतम्: the vow/observance dedicated to Viṣṇu

• इदम्: this

• शुभम्: auspicious, beneficent

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s Manu dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Vipra (Brahmins)
• Cāturmāsya
• Āṣāḍha
• Kārttika
• Go-dāna (cow donation)
• Vaiṣṇava pada

Tags

• Dharma
• Vrata
• Cāturmāsya
• Go-dāna
• Dāna
• Vaiṣṇavism

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it teaches a merit-producing Vaiṣṇava vow (Viṣṇu-vrata) centered on Cāturmāsya discipline, charity, and Kārttika go-dāna.

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

It presents householder-style dharma: daily purity through dawn bathing, sustaining the learned (vipras) through food-gifts, and performing go-dāna in Kārttika—actions framed as leading to the Vaiṣṇava abode.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: Cāturmāsya observance (regulated conduct for four months), dāna to Brahmins, and the especially meritorious Kārttika cow-donation as part of a Viṣṇu-focused vrata.