Shloka 61

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

द्वात्रिंशे ऽभ्युदिते वर्षे प्रक्रान्तो विंशतिं समाः निजघ्ने सर्वभूतानि मानुषाण्येव सर्वशः //

Transliteration

dvātriṃśe 'bhyudite varṣe prakrānto viṃśatiṃ samāḥ nijaghne sarvabhūtāni mānuṣāṇyeva sarvaśaḥ //

Translation

When the thirty-second year had dawned, having set out and spent twenty years (on campaign), he slaughtered all beings—indeed, human beings everywhere, without exception.

Word by Word

• dvātriṃśe: in the thirty-second (year)

• abhyudite: having arisen/dawned

• varṣe: in the year

• prakrāntaḥ: having set out/embarked (on an expedition)

• viṃśatim: twenty

• samāḥ: years

• nijaghne: he killed/slaughtered

• sarva-bhūtāni: all beings/creatures

• mānuṣāṇi eva: humans indeed/only humans in particular

• sarvaśaḥ: entirely, on all sides, without exception

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Matsya Purana’s dynastic narrative (speaker attribution inferred from Purana-style framing).

Entities Mentioned

• Unnamed king/warrior (implied subject)
• Humans (mānuṣāḥ)
• All beings (bhūtāni)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Violence
• Royal campaigns
• Adharma
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

Nothing directly about Pralaya is stated here; the verse focuses on a historical/narrative episode of prolonged warfare and indiscriminate killing, not cosmic dissolution.

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

By highlighting indiscriminate slaughter—especially of humans—it implicitly contrasts with rajadharma, where a king’s use of force is meant to be restrained, lawful, and protective rather than wholesale destruction.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, iconography, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is a narrative statement about the duration and extent of killing during a campaign.