Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अनन्तरं च वक्त्रेभ्यो वेदास् तस्य विनिःसृताः मीमांसान्यायविद्याश् च प्रमाणाष्टकसंयुताः //

Transliteration

anantaraṃ ca vaktrebhyo vedās tasya viniḥsṛtāḥ mīmāṃsānyāyavidyāś ca pramāṇāṣṭakasaṃyutāḥ //

Translation

Daraufhin gingen aus seinen Mündern die Veden hervor; ebenso traten die Lehrsysteme Mīmāṃsā und Nyāya hervor, ausgestattet mit den acht pramāṇa, den Mitteln gültiger Erkenntnis.

Word by Word

• अनन्तरम् (anantaram): thereafter/next

• च (ca): and

• वक्त्रेभ्यः (vaktrebhyaḥ): from the mouths/faces

• वेदाः (vedāḥ): the Vedas

• तस्य (tasya): of him/of that (Being)

• विनिःसृताः (viniḥsṛtāḥ): flowed forth/issued out

• मीमांसा (mīmāṃsā): Mīmāṃsā (Vedic exegesis/ritual hermeneutics)

• न्यायविद्याः (nyāya-vidyāḥ): the science of Nyāya (logic)

• च (ca): and

• प्रमाणाष्टकसंयुताः (pramāṇa-aṣṭaka-saṃyutāḥ): furnished with the eightfold pramāṇas/means of valid cognition.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Vedas
• Mimamsa
• Nyaya
• Pramanas

Tags

• Creation
• Vedic Revelation
• Philosophy
• Epistemology
• Shastra Origins

FAQs

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

It emphasizes post-cosmic-order revelation: sacred knowledge (the Vedas and allied śāstras) is said to emerge from the divine source, restoring dharma and right understanding after cosmic transitions.

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

By grounding conduct in Veda, Mīmāṃsā (ritual duty) and Nyāya (reasoned judgment), it implies that rulers and householders should govern and live by scriptural injunctions interpreted carefully and supported by sound logic.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it points to Mīmāṃsā as the discipline that systematizes yajña and Vedic rites; indirectly, such śāstric foundations later support temple ritual manuals and Vastu-related prescriptions derived from Vedic authority.