Shloka 43

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

यजन्ते ह्यश्वमेधैस्तु राजानः शूद्रयोनयः स्त्रीबालगोवधं कृत्वा हत्वा चैव परस्परम् //

Transliteration

yajante hyaśvamedhaistu rājānaḥ śūdrayonayaḥ strībālagovadhaṃ kṛtvā hatvā caiva parasparam //

Translation

Indeed, kings born of Śūdra lineage will perform Aśvamedha sacrifices; having slain women, children, and cows, they will also kill one another.

Word by Word

• yajante: they sacrifice/perform rites

• hi: indeed

• aśvamedhaiḥ: by Aśvamedha sacrifices

• tu: but/indeed

• rājānaḥ: kings

• śūdra-yonayaḥ: born from Śūdra wombs/of Śūdra origin

• strī-bāla-go-vadham: the killing of women, children, and cows

• kṛtvā: having done/committed

• hatvā: having slain

• ca eva: and indeed/also

• parasparam: one another/mutually

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) reporting the Matsya Purana’s Kali-yuga prognostication (traditional Purāṇic discourse style)

Entities Mentioned

• Aśvamedha
• kings (rājānaḥ)
• Śūdra lineage (śūdra-yoni)
• women (strī)
• children (bāla)
• cows (go)

Tags

• Kali-yuga
• Rajadharma
• Adharma
• Aśvamedha
• Social decline

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a Kali-yuga symptom verse, describing moral and political collapse where ritual is performed outwardly while violence and mutual slaughter dominate.

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

It functions as a warning against adharma in rulership: a true king protects subjects and upholds non-violence and justice; mere performance of grand rites like Aśvamedha is condemned when accompanied by harm to the vulnerable (women, children) and to cows, and by factional warfare.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual reference is Aśvamedha: the verse critiques its misuse—grand sacrifices undertaken by unworthy rulers—implying that ritual legitimacy depends on dharma and ethical conduct, not on ceremonial scale.