Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces

Devanagari script

बुद्धेर् मोहः समभवद् अहंकाराद् अभून् मदः प्रमोदश् चाभवत् कण्ठान् मृत्युर् लोचनतो ण्र्प भरतः करमध्यात् तु ब्रह्मसूनुर् अभूत् ततः //

Transliteration

buddher mohaḥ samabhavad ahaṃkārād abhūn madaḥ pramodaś cābhavat kaṇṭhān mṛtyur locanato ṇrpa bharataḥ karamadhyāt tu brahmasūnur abhūt tataḥ //

Translation

From the intellect (buddhi) arose delusion; from ego (ahaṃkāra) arose intoxication, and joy as well. From the throat came Death; from the eyes, O king, Bharata; and from the middle of the hand thereafter arose the son of Brahmā.

Word by Word

• buddheḥ: from (the principle of) intellect

• mohaḥ: delusion, bewilderment

• samabhavat: arose, came into being

• ahaṃkārāt: from ego-principle (I-maker)

• abhūt: became, arose

• madaḥ: intoxication, pride

• pramodaḥ: gladness, delight

• ca: and

• abhavat: arose

• kaṇṭhāt: from the throat

• mṛtyuḥ: Death (personified)

• locanataḥ: from the eyes

• nṛpa: O king

• bharataḥ: Bharata (a progenitor/kingly figure)

• karamadhyāt: from the middle of the hand/palm

• tu: indeed

• brahmasūnuḥ: Brahmā’s son (a Brahma-born being)

• abhūt: arose

• tataḥ: thereafter

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purāṇa’s early creation account to the sages; addressed to a king as 'nṛpa' within the cited line)

Entities Mentioned

• Moha
• Ahaṃkāra
• Mada
• Pramoda
• Mṛtyu
• Bharata
• Brahmā
• Brahmasūnu

Tags

• Creation
• Sarga
• Cosmology
• Personified principles
• Genealogy

FAQs

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

It presents a creation (sarga) motif: abstract inner faculties (buddhi, ahaṃkāra) give rise to personified states (moha, mada, pramoda) and beings like Mṛtyu—showing how cosmic evolution includes both psychological principles and divine/ancestral figures.

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

By tracing moha (delusion) to buddhi and mada (pride/intoxication) to ahaṃkāra, the verse implicitly warns rulers and householders to discipline intellect and ego; unchecked delusion and pride are seen as primordial forces that destabilize dharma and governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple-building rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is conceptual—rituals aim to purify buddhi and restrain ahaṃkāra, countering moha and mada that obstruct right worship and right action.