Matsya Purana — Chapter 56

MtP 56.1

कृष्णाष्टमीमथो वक्ष्ये सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् शान्तिर्मुक्तिश्च भवति जयः पुंसां विशेषतः

kṛṣṇāṣṭamīmatho vakṣye sarvapāpapraṇāśinīm śāntirmuktiśca bhavati jayaḥ puṃsāṃ viśeṣataḥ

Now I shall declare the (rite of the) dark-fortnight eighth, which destroys all sins; peace and liberation come about, and victory especially for men.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.2

शंकरं मार्गशिरसि शम्भुं पौषे ऽभिपूजयेत् माघे महेश्वरं देवं महादेवं च फाल्गुने

śaṃkaraṃ mārgaśirasi śambhuṃ pauṣe 'bhipūjayet māghe maheśvaraṃ devaṃ mahādevaṃ ca phālgune

In Mārgaśīrṣa he should worship Śaṃkara, in Pauṣa Śambhu, in Māgha the god Maheśvara, and in Phālguna Mahādeva;

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.3

स्थाणुं चैत्रे शिवं तद्वद् वैशाखे त्वर्चयेन्नरः ज्येष्ठे पशुपतिं चार्चेद् आषाढे उग्रमर्चयेत्

sthāṇuṃ caitre śivaṃ tadvad vaiśākhe tvarcayennaraḥ jyeṣṭhe paśupatiṃ cārced āṣāḍhe ugramarcayet

in Caitra Sthāṇu, likewise in Vaiśākha a man should worship Śiva, in Jyeṣṭha he should worship Paśupati, and in Āṣāḍha he should worship Ugra;

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.4

पूजयेच्छ्रावणे शर्वं नभस्ये त्र्यम्बकं तथा हरमाश्वयुजे मासि तथेशानं च कार्त्तिके

pūjayecchrāvaṇe śarvaṃ nabhasye tryambakaṃ tathā haramāśvayuje māsi tatheśānaṃ ca kārttike

in Śrāvaṇa he should worship Śarva, in Nabhasya likewise Tryambaka, in the month of Āśvayuja Hara, and so Īśāna in Kārttika.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.5

कृष्णाष्टमीषु सर्वासु शक्तः सम्पूजयेद्द्विजान् गोभूहिरण्यवासोभिः शिवभक्तानुपोषितः

kṛṣṇāṣṭamīṣu sarvāsu śaktaḥ sampūjayeddvijān gobhūhiraṇyavāsobhiḥ śivabhaktānupoṣitaḥ

On all the eighths of the dark fortnight, one who is able should duly honour brahmins who are devotees of Śiva with cows, land, gold and garments, himself having fasted.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.6

गोमूत्रघृतगोक्षीरतिलान् यवकुशोदकम् गोशृङ्गोदशिरीषार्कबिल्वपत्त्रदधीनि च पञ्चगव्यं च संप्राश्य शंकरं पूजयेन्निशि

gomūtraghṛtagokṣīratilān yavakuśodakam gośṛṅgodaśirīṣārkabilvapattradadhīni ca pañcagavyaṃ ca saṃprāśya śaṃkaraṃ pūjayenniśi

Having consumed cow's urine, ghee, cow's milk, sesame, barley, kuśa-water, water from a cow's horn, śirīṣa, arka and bilva leaves, and curds, and the five products of the cow, he should worship Śaṃkara at night.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MtP 56.7

अश्वत्थं च वटं चैवो-दुम्बरं प्लक्षमेव च पलाशं जम्बुवृक्षं च विदुः षष्ठं महर्षयः

aśvatthaṃ ca vaṭaṃ caivo-dumbaraṃ plakṣameva ca palāśaṃ jambuvṛkṣaṃ ca viduḥ ṣaṣṭhaṃ maharṣayaḥ

The great seers know (these): the aśvattha, the vaṭa, the udumbara, the plakṣa, the palāśa, and as sixth the jambu tree.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.8

मार्गशीर्षाषाढमासाभ्यां द्वाभ्यां द्वाभ्यामितिक्रमात् एकैकं दन्तपवनं वृक्षेष्वेतेषु भक्षयेत्

mārgaśīrṣāṣāḍhamāsābhyāṃ dvābhyāṃ dvābhyāmitikramāt ekaikaṃ dantapavanaṃ vṛkṣeṣveteṣu bhakṣayet

For the months from Mārgaśīrṣa to Āṣāḍha, two (months) each in succession, he should chew one tooth-stick from each of these trees.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

MtP 56.9

देवाय दद्यादर्घ्यं च कृष्णां गां कृष्णवाससम् दद्यात्समाप्ते दध्यन्नं वितानध्वजचामरम्

devāya dadyādarghyaṃ ca kṛṣṇāṃ gāṃ kṛṣṇavāsasam dadyātsamāpte dadhyannaṃ vitānadhvajacāmaram

He should offer the arghya to the god, and a black cow with a black cloth; at the conclusion he should give curds and rice, a canopy, a banner and a fly-whisk,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.10

द्विजानामुदकुम्भांश्च पञ्चरत्नसमन्वितान् गावः कृष्णाः सुवर्णं च वासांसि विविधानि च अशक्तस्तु पुनर्दद्याद् गामेकामपि शक्तितः

dvijānāmudakumbhāṃśca pañcaratnasamanvitān gāvaḥ kṛṣṇāḥ suvarṇaṃ ca vāsāṃsi vividhāni ca aśaktastu punardadyād gāmekāmapi śaktitaḥ

And to the brahmins (he should give) water-jars furnished with the five gems, black cows, gold, and garments of various kinds; but one who is unable should still give, according to his means, even a single cow.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

MtP 56.11

न वित्तशाठ्यं कुर्वीत कुर्वन्दोषमवाप्नुयात् कृष्णाष्टमीमुपोष्यैव सप्तकल्पशतत्रयम् पुमान्सम्पूजितो देवैः शिवलोके महीयते

na vittaśāṭhyaṃ kurvīta kurvandoṣamavāpnuyāt kṛṣṇāṣṭamīmupoṣyaiva saptakalpaśatatrayam pumānsampūjito devaiḥ śivaloke mahīyate

One should not be miserly with one's wealth; being so, one incurs fault. Simply by fasting on the dark eighth, a man is honoured by the gods for three hundred and seven kalpas and is exalted in the world of Śiva.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition