Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā’s Quarrel

Devanagari script

जानामि त्वां च संशान्तं वीर्यवन्तं यशस्विनम् तस्मान्मां पतितां कूपाद् अस्माद् उद्धर्तुमर्हसि //

Transliteration

jānāmi tvāṃ ca saṃśāntaṃ vīryavantaṃ yaśasvinam tasmānmāṃ patitāṃ kūpād asmād uddhartumarhasi //

Translation

I know you to be serene, mighty in valor, and renowned; therefore, I—fallen into this well—ought to be lifted out by you.

Word by Word

• जानामि (jānāmi): I know

• त्वाम् (tvām): you

• च (ca): and

• संशान्तम् (saṃśāntam): tranquil, fully pacified

• वीर्यवन्तम् (vīryavantam): possessed of strength/valor

• यशस्विनम् (yaśasvinam): illustrious, famed

• तस्मात् (tasmāt): therefore

• माम् (mām): me

• पतिताम् (patitām): fallen

• कूपात् (kūpāt): from a well

• अस्मात् (asmāt): from this

• उद्धर्तुम् (uddhartum): to lift out, rescue

• अर्हसि (arhasi): you are worthy/you should (it is fitting for you).

Speaker

• A distressed supplicant addressing Lord Matsya (Vishnu’s Matsya avatara) in the Pralaya narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Vishnu

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya Avatara
• Supplication
• Protection
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It uses a rescue-from-a-well metaphor to express seeking divine protection—an emotional and theological tone that aligns with the Pralaya setting, where deliverance is central even when cosmic dissolution looms.

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

By praising serenity, strength, and fame, the verse implicitly upholds ideal leadership virtues; it also models dharmic dependence on a worthy protector—mirroring a king’s duty to rescue the fallen and a householder’s duty to shelter the distressed.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the only concrete image is a “well (kūpa),” functioning symbolically as a pit of danger from which the protector must raise the devotee.