Shloka 75

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

ततः प्रजास्तु ताः सर्वा मांसाहारा भवन्ति हि मृगान्वराहान्वृषभान् ये चान्ये वनचारिणः //

Transliteration

tataḥ prajāstu tāḥ sarvā māṃsāhārā bhavanti hi mṛgānvarāhānvṛṣabhān ye cānye vanacāriṇaḥ //

Translation

Thereafter, all those beings indeed become flesh-eaters, consuming deer, boars, bulls, and other creatures that roam the forests.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter

• prajāḥ: creatures/subjects/offspring

• tu: indeed/then

• tāḥ sarvāḥ: all those

• māṃsa-āhārāḥ: meat-eating, subsisting on flesh

• bhavanti: become

• hi: indeed/for

• mṛgān: deer/wild animals

• varāhān: boars

• vṛṣabhān: bulls

• ye: which/who

• ca: and

• anye: others

• vana-cāriṇaḥ: forest-roaming creatures

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (probable narrative voice within the Pralaya account)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Pralaya
• Moral decline
• Dietary shift
• Violence
• Puranic cosmology

FAQs

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

It portrays a post-Pralaya condition where beings regress ethically, turning toward हिंसा (violence) and flesh-eating, indicating a decline in dharmic order after cosmic upheaval.

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

By highlighting a societal drift toward हिंसा and predation, it indirectly frames the king/householder’s dharmic role as restraining violence, protecting beings, and restoring order through righteous governance and disciplined living.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is primarily ethical-cosmological, describing a change in conduct (diet and violence) rather than temple-building or rites.