Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

तस्यापानं विना चैव योग्यभावो भविष्यति तस्माद् दीर्घतमाङ्गेषु कुक्षौ स्पृष्ट्वेदम् अब्रवीत् //

Transliteration

tasyāpānaṃ vinā caiva yogyabhāvo bhaviṣyati tasmād dīrghatamāṅgeṣu kukṣau spṛṣṭvedam abravīt //

Translation

„Selbst ohne apāna, den abwärts gerichteten Atem, wird es dennoch für die Aufgabe tauglich werden.“ Daraufhin berührte er mit seinen langen Gliedern seinen eigenen Bauch und sprach diese Worte.

Word by Word

• tasya: of it/for it

• apānam: apāna (downward vital breath)

• vinā: without

• ca eva: and indeed

• yogyabhāvaḥ: fitness/competence/suitability

• bhaviṣyati: will be

• tasmāt: therefore

• dīrghatama-aṅgeṣu: with very long limbs

• kukṣau: on the belly/abdomen

• spṛṣṭvā: having touched

• idam: this

• abravīt: he said/spoke

Speaker

• Narrator (Sūta’s narration continuing the Matsya–Manu episode; the immediate ‘he spoke’ refers to the divine/extraordinary figure in context, commonly Lord Matsya or the manifested being guiding Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Apāna (vital breath)
• Kukṣi (abdomen)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya-Avatara
• Manu
• Yoga-Prana
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

It sits within the Pralaya (flood) narrative and emphasizes “fitness for the task” even under unusual conditions—suggesting extraordinary, divinely enabled capability during cosmic crisis rather than ordinary biological limitation.

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

In the Manu-centered flood episode, the underlying ethic is preparedness and steadiness: even when normal supports are absent, one must remain ‘yogya’ (fit) to carry out dharma—protecting life, preserving tradition, and following divine instruction.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-building rule appears here; the technical note is yogic/ritual physiology (apāna and the belly), often invoked in Purāṇic literature to signal controlled vital energies and extraordinary efficacy.