Shloka 77

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

ते ऽपि मत्स्यान्हरन्तीह आहारार्थं च सर्वशः अभक्ष्याहारदोषेण एकवर्णगताः प्रजाः //

Transliteration

te 'pi matsyānharantīha āhārārthaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ abhakṣyāhāradoṣeṇa ekavarṇagatāḥ prajāḥ //

Translation

They too, everywhere in this world, seize fish merely for the sake of food; and through the fault of eating what is forbidden, the people fall into a single, undifferentiated social condition, losing the proper distinctions of varṇa.

Word by Word

• te api: they also

• matsyān: fish

• haranti iha: seize/take here (in this world)

• āhāra-artham: for the sake of food

• ca: and

• sarvaśaḥ: on all sides/everywhere

• abhakṣya-āhāra-doṣeṇa: due to the defect/sin of consuming what should not be eaten

• ekavarṇa-gatāḥ: having gone into one varṇa / becoming of one (confused) class

• prajāḥ: the subjects/people

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (context: signs of decline)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya (fish, as food item)

Tags

• Kali-Yuga
• Food Taboos
• Dharma
• Social Order
• Āhāra-Śuddhi

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic pralaya directly; it highlights moral and social dissolution—how adharma, especially food-transgression (abhakṣya-āhāra), becomes a sign of the age’s decline.

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

It implies that householders must follow rules of permissible food (bhakṣya/abhakṣya) to maintain personal purity, and that kings should uphold dharma by discouraging widespread dietary misconduct that leads to social confusion and loss of orderly conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-architecture rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is āhāra-śuddhi—purity of diet as a foundational discipline supporting dharma and social stability.