Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā’s Quarrel

Devanagari script

कथं च पतिता ह्य् अस्मिन् कूपे वीरुत्तृणावृते दुहिता चैव कस्य त्वं वद सर्वं सुमध्यमे //

Transliteration

kathaṃ ca patitā hy asmin kūpe vīruttṛṇāvṛte duhitā caiva kasya tvaṃ vada sarvaṃ sumadhyame //

Translation

How have you fallen into this well, covered over with creepers and grass? And whose daughter are you? Tell me everything, O slender-waisted one.

Word by Word

• katham: how?

• ca: and

• patitā: fallen

• hi: indeed

• asmin: in this

• kūpe: well

• vīrut-tṛṇa-āvṛte: covered with creepers and grass

• duhitā: daughter

• ca eva: and indeed

• kasya: of whom/whose

• tvam: you

• vada: tell (speak)

• sarvam: everything

• sumadhyame: O fair/slender-waisted lady

Speaker

• An inquiring male (narrator’s character in the episode; exact identification not explicit from this single verse)

Tags

• Matsya Purana narrative
• Dialogue
• Rescue motif
• Identity inquiry
• Well (kūpa)

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is a narrative inquiry focused on how a woman ended up in a well and establishing her identity.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the ethical duty to investigate distress situations and offer protection—first understanding the circumstances (“tell me everything”) before acting.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The only built-environment reference is the kūpa (well). No Vāstu or ritual procedure is specified, but wells are key domestic/public water structures in Purāṇic social life.