Shloka 47

Matsya Purana — Catalogue of the Eighteen Puranas

Devanagari script

यत्र धर्मार्थकामानां मोक्षस्य च रसातले माहात्म्यं कथयामास कूर्मरूपी जनार्दनः //

Transliteration

yatra dharmārthakāmānāṃ mokṣasya ca rasātale māhātmyaṃ kathayāmāsa kūrmarūpī janārdanaḥ //

Translation

There, in Rasātala (the nether region), Janārdana in the form of the Tortoise expounded the sacred greatness connected with dharma, artha, kāma, and also mokṣa.

Word by Word

• yatra: where/there

• dharma-artha-kāmānām: of dharma, artha, and kāma (the three aims of life)

• mokṣasya ca: and of mokṣa (liberation)

• rasātale: in Rasātala (a netherworld realm)

• māhātmyam: greatness, sanctifying glory, religious significance

• kathayāmāsa: narrated, expounded, explained

• kūrma-rūpī: having the form of Kūrma (the Tortoise incarnation)

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Viṣṇu, the remover of afflictions).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing Janārdana/Kūrma’s discourse within the Matsya Purana’s narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Kūrma (Tortoise incarnation)
• Rasātala
• Dharma
• Artha
• Kāma
• Mokṣa

Tags

• Purusharthas
• Rasatala
• Kurma-avatara
• Mahatmya
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not directly about pralaya; it highlights Viṣṇu (as Kūrma) teaching a māhātmya in Rasātala that frames spiritual goals (including mokṣa) rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

By naming dharma, artha, and kāma together with mokṣa, the verse implies an integrated life-model: rulers and householders should pursue prosperity and legitimate desires under dharma, while keeping liberation as the highest horizon.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No specific Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the genre-marker “māhātmya,” indicating sanctifying praise/teaching connected to sacred realms that can orient practice toward the puruṣārthas, especially mokṣa.