Shloka 66

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

स्वाप्रदानास् तदा ते वै लोभाविष्टास्तु वृन्दशः उपहिंसन्ति चान्योन्यं प्रलुम्पन्ति परस्परम् //

Transliteration

svāpradānās tadā te vai lobhāviṣṭāstu vṛndaśaḥ upahiṃsanti cānyonyaṃ pralumpanti parasparam //

Translation

Then, impelled by greed, those groups—clinging to what they claim as their own—injure one another and plunder each other in turn.

Word by Word

• svāpradānāḥ: taking/claiming for oneself, self-appropriating

• tadā: then

• te: they

• vai: indeed

• lobha-āviṣṭāḥ: possessed by greed

• tu: and/but

• vṛndaśaḥ: in bands, as groups

• upahiṁsanti: harm, injure

• ca: and

• anyonyam: one another

• pralumpanti: rob, plunder

• parasparam: mutually, each other

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu, describing Kali-yuga conditions)

Tags

• Kali Yuga
• Adharma
• Greed
• Social Conflict
• Ethics

FAQs

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

It is not a physical Pralaya (cosmic dissolution) verse; it depicts a moral 'dissolution' in Kali-yuga, where greed drives mutual injury and plunder, signaling dharma’s decay.

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

It warns that unchecked lobha (greed) produces social violence and theft; a king must restrain such banded wrongdoing through danda-nīti (just punishment), while householders must practice self-control, non-injury, and honest livelihood to prevent communal collapse.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the takeaway is ethical—temples, rites, and civic order lose meaning when society is overtaken by greed and mutual harm.