Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

बुद्धेर् मोहः समभवद् अहंकाराद् अभून् मदः प्रमोदश् चाभवत् कण्ठान् मृत्युर् लोचनतो ण्र्प भरतः करमध्यात् तु ब्रह्मसूनुर् अभूत् ततः //

Transliteration

buddher mohaḥ samabhavad ahaṃkārād abhūn madaḥ pramodaś cābhavat kaṇṭhān mṛtyur locanato ṇrpa bharataḥ karamadhyāt tu brahmasūnur abhūt tataḥ //

Translation

من البُدّهي (buddhi) نشأ الوهم، ومن الأهمكارا (ahaṃkāra) نشأت السُّكرَةُ والزهو، وكذلك الفرح. ومن الحلق خرج الموت؛ ومن العينين، أيها الملك، وُلد بهاراتا؛ ومن وسط الكفّ بعد ذلك وُلد ابنُ براهما.

Word by Word

• buddheḥ: from (the principle of) intellect

• mohaḥ: delusion, bewilderment

• samabhavat: arose, came into being

• ahaṃkārāt: from ego-principle (I-maker)

• abhūt: became, arose

• madaḥ: intoxication, pride

• pramodaḥ: gladness, delight

• ca: and

• abhavat: arose

• kaṇṭhāt: from the throat

• mṛtyuḥ: Death (personified)

• locanataḥ: from the eyes

• nṛpa: O king

• bharataḥ: Bharata (a progenitor/kingly figure)

• karamadhyāt: from the middle of the hand/palm

• tu: indeed

• brahmasūnuḥ: Brahmā’s son (a Brahma-born being)

• abhūt: arose

• tataḥ: thereafter

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purāṇa’s early creation account to the sages; addressed to a king as 'nṛpa' within the cited line)

Entities Mentioned

• Moha
• Ahaṃkāra
• Mada
• Pramoda
• Mṛtyu
• Bharata
• Brahmā
• Brahmasūnu

Tags

• Creation
• Sarga
• Cosmology
• Personified principles
• Genealogy

FAQs

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

It presents a creation (sarga) motif: abstract inner faculties (buddhi, ahaṃkāra) give rise to personified states (moha, mada, pramoda) and beings like Mṛtyu—showing how cosmic evolution includes both psychological principles and divine/ancestral figures.

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

By tracing moha (delusion) to buddhi and mada (pride/intoxication) to ahaṃkāra, the verse implicitly warns rulers and householders to discipline intellect and ego; unchecked delusion and pride are seen as primordial forces that destabilize dharma and governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple-building rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is conceptual—rituals aim to purify buddhi and restrain ahaṃkāra, countering moha and mada that obstruct right worship and right action.