Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Brahmā–Gāyatrī as a Divine Pair and the Early Genealogies of Creation

Devanagari script

एवं शापप्रसादाभ्याम् उपेतः कुसुमायुधः शोकप्रमोदाभियुतो जगाम स यथागतम् //

Transliteration

evaṃ śāpaprasādābhyām upetaḥ kusumāyudhaḥ śokapramodābhiyuto jagāma sa yathāgatam //

Translation

Thus, Kusumāyudha (Kāma), having come under both a curse and a favor, and filled with grief and joy alike, departed and went away as he had come.

Word by Word

• evam: thus

• śāpa-prasādābhyām: by (the pair of) curse and grace/boon

• upetaḥ: endowed with, having obtained

• kusumāyudhaḥ: ‘he whose weapon is flowers’ (Kāma)

• śoka-pramoda-abhiyutaḥ: accompanied by sorrow and delight

• jagāma: went, departed

• sa: he

• yathā-āgatam: in the same manner as (he) came, as previously.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the episode in the Matsya Purana’s opening narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Kusumāyudha (Kāma)

Tags

• Shapa-Prasada
• Puranic Narrative
• Kama
• Karma-Phala
• Emotional Duality

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights karmic causality—how a being may simultaneously bear the effects of a curse and a boon—an ethical logic that also underlies Purāṇic accounts of cosmic cycles.

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

It underscores that actions and judgments (śāpa/prasāda) have lasting consequences; for kings and householders, it implies restraint in speech and decisions, and acceptance of mixed outcomes (joy and grief) as results of prior causes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure appears in this verse; its takeaway is thematic—Purāṇic narratives often set the moral framework that later supports ritual and temple-building injunctions in the Matsya Purana.