Matsya Purana — Code of Conduct and Vow-Procedure for Courtesans, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

निर्भरापानगोष्ठीषु प्रसक्ताभिरलंकृतः कुरङ्गनयनः श्रीमान् मालतीकृतशेखरः //

Transliteration

nirbharāpānagoṣṭhīṣu prasaktābhiralaṃkṛtaḥ kuraṅganayanaḥ śrīmān mālatīkṛtaśekharaḥ //

Translation

وكان مُزَيَّناً بنساءٍ منغمساتٍ في مجالس الشراب والأنس؛ وهو ذو عينين كعيني الظبي، بهيٌّ متلألئ، قد جعل على رأسه إكليلاً من زهر المالاتي (mālatī).

Word by Word

• nirbhara: lively/exuberant

• āpāna: drinking (wine) / drinking bout

• goṣṭhīṣu: in assemblies, social gatherings

• prasaktābhiḥ: by those engrossed/attached (women)

• alaṃkṛtaḥ: adorned, ornamented

• kuraṅga-nayanaḥ: deer-eyed (one with eyes like a deer)

• śrīmān: illustrious, splendid, fortunate

• mālatī: mālatī jasmine

• kṛta: made, fashioned

• śekharaḥ: crest, head-ornament, chaplet

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial description within the Matsya Purana’s ongoing discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Mālatī (jasmine)
• Goṣṭhī (assembly)
• Āpāna (drinking-gathering motif)

Tags

• Courtly life
• Poetic description
• Ornamentation
• Aesthetics
• Social customs

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it is a poetic, cultural description focused on festive social gatherings and personal adornment.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the refined social culture surrounding elites—suggesting ideals of decorum, celebration, and aesthetic presentation that often accompany royal or affluent household life in Purāṇic narratives.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-ritual rule is stated; the main technical takeaway is vocabulary of ornamentation (śekhara) and floral adornment (mālatī), useful when reading iconographic and ceremonial descriptions elsewhere in the Matsya Purana.