Shloka 67

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

अराजके युगांशे तु संक्षये समुपस्थिते प्रजास्ता वै तदा सर्वाः परस्परभयार्दिताः //

Transliteration

arājake yugāṃśe tu saṃkṣaye samupasthite prajāstā vai tadā sarvāḥ parasparabhayārditāḥ //

Translation

When the age declines and the time of kinglessness arrives, then indeed all the people are afflicted by fear of one another.

Word by Word

• arājake: in the absence of a king/without rulership

• yugāṃśe: at a phase/portion of the age (yuga)

• tu: indeed/and

• saṃkṣaye: in decline, in diminution, at the waning

• samupasthite: having come upon, having set in

• prajāḥ tāḥ: those subjects/people

• vai: indeed, truly

• tadā: then

• sarvāḥ: all

• paraspara: of one another, mutual

• bhaya-arditāḥ: oppressed/tormented by fear

Speaker

• Likely Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu on rajadharma and social order)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Arājaka
• Social Order
• Yuga-Decline
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It points to a moral-social “decline” (saṃkṣaya) within the yuga: when lawful rule collapses, society enters a state of mutual fear—an ethical dissolution rather than a cosmic flood-pralaya.

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

It underlines the king’s core duty: removing mutual fear by enforcing dharma, protecting subjects, and maintaining order; for householders, it implies supporting lawful authority and social norms that prevent chaos.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct vastu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is contextual—stable kingship is presented as the enabling condition for public rites, temple patronage, and orderly civic life.