Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

महामनाः सुतस्तस्य महाशालस्य धार्मिकः सप्तद्वीपेश्वरो जज्ञे चक्रवर्ती महामनाः //

Transliteration

mahāmanāḥ sutastasya mahāśālasya dhārmikaḥ saptadvīpeśvaro jajñe cakravartī mahāmanāḥ //

Translation

Von dem rechtschaffenen Mahāśāla wurde ein Sohn namens Mahāmanā geboren—tugendhaft und dem Dharma verpflichtet—der zum Cakravartin, zum Weltenherrscher, wurde, als Souverän über die sieben Kontinente (saptadvīpa).

Word by Word

• mahāmanāḥ: Mahāmanā (name

• sutaḥ: son

• tasya: of him/that (Mahāśāla)

• mahāśālasya: of Mahāśāla

• dhārmikaḥ: righteous, devoted to dharma

• saptadvīpa-īśvaraḥ: lord of the seven dvīpas/continents

• jajñe: was born, came into being

• cakravartī: universal monarch, emperor whose ‘wheel (cakra) of sovereignty’ turns unobstructed

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting royal genealogy (vaṁśa)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahāśāla
• Mahāmanā
• Saptadvīpa
• Cakravartin

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Dharma
• Kingship
• Cakravartin

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is genealogical, describing the birth of a righteous heir who becomes a cakravartin, not a pralaya event.

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

It idealizes kingship grounded in dharma: the ruler’s legitimacy is tied to being dhārmika, implying governance aligned with moral law as the foundation for universal sovereignty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual instruction appears; the technical focus is political-theological—cakravartin sovereignty over the ‘seven dvīpas’ as a Purāṇic model of ideal rule.