Shloka 62

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

कृत्वा बीजावशिष्टां तां पृथ्वीं क्रूरेण कर्मणा परस्परनिमित्तेन कालेनाकस्मिकेन च //

Transliteration

kṛtvā bījāvaśiṣṭāṃ tāṃ pṛthvīṃ krūreṇa karmaṇā parasparanimittena kālenākasmikena ca //

Translation

Having reduced the earth to a condition where only seed remained, through cruel deeds—arising from the mutual causation among beings and from the sudden, unforeseen workings of Time—so it came to pass.

Word by Word

• kṛtvā: having made, having rendered

• bīja-avaśiṣṭām: with only seed remaining, leaving merely the seed (as residue)

• tām: that

• pṛthvīm: earth

• krūreṇa: by cruel, harsh

• karmaṇā: action, deed, conduct

• paraspara-nimittena: caused by one another, arising from mutual agency/reciprocal causes

• kālena: by Time (as a cosmic force)

• ākasmikena: sudden, unexpected, unforeseen

• ca: and

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya–Manu dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Prithvi (Earth)
• Kala (Time)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Kali Yuga
• Cosmic Time
• Karma
• Matsya Purana Ethics

FAQs

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

It frames large-scale ruin as a combined result of harsh collective karma, reciprocal human/creature causation, and the overpowering agency of Time—so that the earth is left with only the “seed” (a minimal remainder for renewal after devastation).

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

By warning that cruelty and socially contagious wrongdoing (paraspara-nimitta) accelerate decline, it indirectly supports the Matsya Purana’s dharmic ideal: rulers and householders must restrain harm, uphold order, and prevent cycles of mutual corruption that invite sudden calamity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is cosmological-ethical, emphasizing Kala and karma as forces that can abruptly undo prosperity—an implied reminder that rites and constructions require dharmic conduct to be enduring.