Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Description of Gomedaka and Puṣkara Dvīpas; the Lokāloka Boundary; Ocean Tide...

Devanagari script

न तत्र वध्यवधकौ नेर्ष्यासूया भयं तथा न लोभो न च दम्भो वा न च द्वेषः परिग्रहः //

Transliteration

na tatra vadhyavadhakau nerṣyāsūyā bhayaṃ tathā na lobho na ca dambho vā na ca dveṣaḥ parigrahaḥ //

Translation

There, neither the condemned nor the executioner exists; nor are envy, malice, or fear found. There is no greed, no hypocrisy, nor even hatred or possessive hoarding.

Word by Word

• na: not

• tatra: there (in that realm/age)

• vadhya-vadhakau: the one to be slain and the slayer (condemned and executioner)

• na: not

• īrṣyā: jealousy/envy

• sūyā: spite/malice (fault-finding)

• bhayam: fear

• tathā: likewise

• na: not

• lobhaḥ: greed

• na: not

• ca: and

• dambhaḥ: hypocrisy/pretence

• vā: or

• na: not

• ca: and

• dveṣaḥ: hatred/aversion

• parigrahaḥ: grasping, possessiveness, acquisitive hoarding.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within the Matsya–Manu dialogue)

Tags

• Dharma
• Ideal Society
• Nonviolence
• Ethics
• Matsya Purana Teachings

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya directly; instead, it depicts the moral condition of an ideal realm/age where violence and fear are absent—often presented as the ethical opposite of chaos and decline that culminate in dissolution.

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

It sets the king’s dharmic benchmark: governance should remove fear and conditions that breed crime (vadhya-vadhaka), while householders should restrain greed, hypocrisy, hatred, and possessiveness—creating social harmony through inner discipline and fair conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is foundational—temple culture and sacred-city order in the Matsya Purana presuppose purity of conduct (absence of greed, deceit, and hatred) as the social ground for successful rites and stable settlements.