Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Bhīma-Dvādaśī

Devanagari script

यस्य तीक्ष्णो वृको नाम जठरे हव्यवाहनः मया दत्तः स धर्मात्मा तेन चासौ वृकोदरः //

Transliteration

yasya tīkṣṇo vṛko nāma jaṭhare havyavāhanaḥ mayā dattaḥ sa dharmātmā tena cāsau vṛkodaraḥ //

Translation

He of righteous soul, in whose belly I placed the fierce fire named Vṛka—the carrier of oblations (havyavāhana)—is therefore called Vṛkodara, “Vṛka-bellied (wolf-bellied)”.

Word by Word

• yasya: of whom/whose

• tīkṣṇaḥ: sharp, fierce

• vṛkaḥ: Vṛka (lit. ‘wolf’, here a name)

• nāma: by name

• jaṭhare: in the belly

• havyavāhanaḥ: the fire that carries offerings (Agni)

• mayā: by me

• dattaḥ: placed/given

• saḥ: he

• dharmātmā: righteous-souled, devoted to dharma

• tena: therefore/by that

• ca: and

• asau: that very one

• vṛkodaraḥ: Vṛkodara (‘wolf-bellied’, an epithet of Bhīma).

Speaker

• Sūta (purāṇic narrator) recounting an epic-etiology (name-origin) tradition

Entities Mentioned

• Agni (Havyavahana)
• Vṛka (as a named fire)
• Vṛkodara (epithet of Bhīma)

Tags

• Etymology
• Epic Allusion
• Agni
• Dharma
• Bhima

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is not about Pralaya; it explains a heroic epithet through an Agni-related etymology.

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

Indirectly, it praises dharma by calling the person “dharmātmā,” implying that true strength (symbolized by inner fire) should be grounded in righteousness—an ethical ideal for rulers and householders alike.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, “Havyavāhana” points to Agni as the carrier of offerings in yajña; the verse uses sacrificial-fire terminology to frame a name-origin, not a Vāstu or temple-building rule.