Shloka 74

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

जन्तवश्च क्षुधाविष्टा दुःखान्निर्वेदमागमन् संश्रयन्ति च देशांस्तांश् चक्रवत्परिवर्तनाः //

Transliteration

jantavaśca kṣudhāviṣṭā duḥkhānnirvedamāgaman saṃśrayanti ca deśāṃstāṃś cakravatparivartanāḥ //

Translation

And living beings, seized by hunger, fell into despondency from their sufferings; and, turning about like a wheel, they sought refuge again and again in those very regions.

Word by Word

• जन्तवः (jantavaḥ): living beings, creatures

• च (ca): and

• क्षुधा-आविष्टाः (kṣudhā-āviṣṭāḥ): overcome/possessed by hunger

• दुःखात् (duḥkhāt): from suffering

• निर्वेदम् (nirvedam): weariness, disillusionment, despondency

• आगमन् (āgaman): they came to, they reached

• संश्रयन्ति (saṃśrayanti): they take shelter, resort to

• च (ca): and

• देशान् (deśān): regions, places

• तान् तान् (tān tān): those (various) again and again

• चक्रवत् (cakravat): like a wheel, cyclically

• परिवर्तनाः (parivartanāḥ): turning, revolving, repeatedly moving about

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic account within the Pralaya-themed discourse

Tags

• Pralaya
• Famine
• Suffering
• Cyclic Time
• Karma

FAQs

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

It depicts a Pralaya-like condition of scarcity: hunger drives beings into despair, and their movements become cyclical—suggesting the wheel-like recurrence of hardship and refuge-seeking in cosmic time.

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

By highlighting hunger and social distress, it implicitly points to the king’s duty to prevent famine and provide shelter, and the householder’s duty of charity (anna-dāna) and protection of dependents in times of scarcity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the key takeaway is humanitarian—creating places of refuge (āśraya) and provisioning—often implemented through dharma works like rest-houses, water-sources, and food-giving institutions.