Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Code of Conduct and Vow-Procedure for Courtesans

Devanagari script

तिष्ठन्तीषु च दौर्गत्यसंतप्तासु चतुर्मुख आगमिष्यति योगात्मा दाल्भ्यो नाम महातपाः //

Transliteration

tiṣṭhantīṣu ca daurgatyasaṃtaptāsu caturmukha āgamiṣyati yogātmā dālbhyo nāma mahātapāḥ //

Translation

While the Four‑faced One (Brahmā) remained—when beings were scorched by adversity—there arrived a great ascetic named Dālbhya, a yogin of profound spiritual realization.

Word by Word

• tiṣṭhantīṣu: while (they) stood/remained

• ca: and

• daurgatya-saṃtaptāsu: among those afflicted/burnt by misfortune and hardship

• caturmukhaḥ: the four-faced one (Brahmā)

• āgamiṣyati: will come/arrived (narrative future)

• yogātmā: one whose very nature is Yoga, a realized yogin

• dālbhyāḥ: Dālbhya (name of a sage)

• nāma: by name

• mahātapāḥ: great ascetic, one of mighty austerities

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing events (narrative voice; not direct dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahma (Caturmukha)
• Sage Dālbhya

Tags

• Rishi
• Dharma
• Adversity
• Yoga
• Lineages

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe pralaya; instead, it signals a crisis period (durgati) in which a realized sage appears—typical of Purāṇic narratives where dharma is restored through rishis even amid societal or cosmic distress.

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

By highlighting the arrival of a mahātapā yogin during adversity, the verse implies that rulers and householders should seek guidance from disciplined sages and uphold dharma when conditions are harsh, rather than acting from panic or despair.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its practical takeaway is preparatory—during hardship, one turns to yogic and ascetic authority, which in the Purāṇa often precedes the teaching of rites, vows, or prescriptions.