Matsya Purana — Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dialogue: Yayāti’s Transgression, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

सहसोत्पतितां श्यामां दृष्ट्वा तां साश्रुलोचनाम् तूर्णं सकाशं काव्यस्य प्रस्थितां व्यथितस्तदा //

Transliteration

sahasotpatitāṃ śyāmāṃ dṛṣṭvā tāṃ sāśrulocanām tūrṇaṃ sakāśaṃ kāvyasya prasthitāṃ vyathitastadā //

Translation

Als er sah, wie Śyāmā plötzlich aufsprang, die Augen voller Tränen, und eilends zur Gegenwart Kāvyās aufbrach, wurde er in jenem Augenblick von Kummer ergriffen.

Word by Word

• सहसा: suddenly

• उत्पतिताम्: having sprung up/risen

• श्यामाम्: Śyāmā (dark-complexioned woman

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• ताम्: her

• साश्रु-लोचनाम्: with tearful eyes

• तूर्णम्: quickly

• सकाशम्: to the vicinity/presence

• काव्यस्य: of Kāvyā (proper name

• प्रस्थिताम्: having set out/departing

• व्यथितः: pained, distressed

• तदा: then/at that time

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the episode (likely within the Matsya Purana’s frame narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Śyāmā
• Kāvyā

Tags

• Narrative
• Emotion
• Separation
• Purana storytelling
• Matsya Purana episode

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya or cosmology; it is a narrative moment centered on a sudden departure and the emotional distress it causes.

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

Indirectly, it highlights the Purāṇic emphasis on human emotion and consequence—how hurried actions, separation, and attachment can lead to distress—often used as moral texture alongside dharma teachings elsewhere in the Matsya Purana.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it functions as plot narration within a personal episode.