HomeMatsya PuranaAdh. 142Shloka 49

Matsya Purana — Measures of Time: Caturyuga Computation, Shloka 49

अनादिनिधना दिव्याः पूर्वं प्रोक्ताः स्वयम्भुवा स्वधर्मसंवृताः साङ्गा यथाधर्मं युगे युगे विक्रियन्ते स्वधर्मं तु वेदवादाद्यथायुगम् //

anādinidhanā divyāḥ pūrvaṃ proktāḥ svayambhuvā svadharmasaṃvṛtāḥ sāṅgā yathādharmaṃ yuge yuge vikriyante svadharmaṃ tu vedavādādyathāyugam //

Diese göttlichen Satzungen — ohne Anfang und ohne Ende — wurden einst von Svayambhū (Brahmā) verkündet. Mit ihrer eigenen Svadharma versehen und mitsamt den Hilfsdisziplinen (sāṅga) vollständig, erfahren sie von Zeitalter zu Zeitalter gemäß dem Dharma Wandlung; so ist die eigene Pflicht aus der vedischen Lehre zu bestimmen, wie es jedem Yuga entspricht.

अनादिनिधनाbeginningless and endless
अनादिनिधना:
दिव्याःdivine (ordinances/teachings)
दिव्याः:
पूर्वंformerly
पूर्वं:
प्रोक्ताःproclaimed
प्रोक्ताः:
स्वयम्भुवाby Svayambhū (Brahmā)
स्वयम्भुवा:
स्वधर्मसंवृताःenclosed/defined by their own dharma (proper law)
स्वधर्मसंवृताः:
साङ्गाःwith the aṅgas (auxiliaries/ancillary disciplines)
साङ्गाः:
यथाधर्मम्in accordance with dharma
यथाधर्मम्:
युगे युगेin each yuga
युगे युगे:
विक्रियन्तेare altered/modified
विक्रियन्ते:
स्वधर्मम्one’s own duty
स्वधर्मम्:
तुindeed
तु:
वेदवादात्from Vedic instruction/authoritative Vedic statement
वेदवादात्:
यथायुगम्according to the yuga.
यथायुगम्:
Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)
Svayambhu (Brahma)VedaDharmaYuga
DharmaYuga-dharmaVedic AuthoritySmritiEthics

FAQs

It does not describe pralaya directly; it teaches that divine norms are eternal in principle yet their practical expression changes across yugas, and that Vedic authority guides what is appropriate in any age.

It frames royal and household duties as yuga-conditioned: governance, charity, penance, and social obligations should be chosen according to what the Veda authorizes for the current age, rather than applying one fixed rule-set indiscriminately.

No specific Vāstu rule is stated, but the principle applies to ritual and temple practice: procedures and ancillary disciplines (aṅgas) must align with Vedic injunctions appropriate to the yuga, shaping how rites and observances are performed.