Shloka 29

Matsya Purana — Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā’s Quarrel

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा दुहितरं काव्यो देवयानीं तपोवने बाहुभ्यां सम्परिष्वज्य दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् //

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā duhitaraṃ kāvyo devayānīṃ tapovane bāhubhyāṃ sampariṣvajya duḥkhito vākyamabravīt //

Translation

Seeing his daughter Devayānī in the forest of austerities, Kāvya (Śukrācārya) embraced her with both arms and, distressed, spoke these words.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• दुहितरम्: (his) daughter

• काव्यः: Kāvya (Śukra/Śukrācārya)

• देवयानीम्: Devayānī

• तपोवने: in the grove/forest of ascetic practice

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (his) two arms

• सम्परिष्वज्य: having fully embraced

• दुःखितः: sorrowful, distressed

• वाक्यम्: words, a statement

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke

Speaker

• Sūta/Primary Narrator (describing Śukra’s action; the direct speech follows in subsequent verses)

Entities Mentioned

• Kāvya (Śukra/Śukrācārya)
• Devayānī
• Tapovana (forest of austerities)

Tags

• Genealogy
• Yayati episode
• Devayani
• Shukra
• Narrative

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is part of a dynastic narrative (Devayānī and Śukra), not a pralaya or cosmology passage.

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

It highlights the householder ideal of parental responsibility and protection: Śukra’s embrace and grief foreground a father’s duty to safeguard his daughter’s welfare, a theme that later shapes royal alliances and ethical consequences in the Yayāti cycle.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu/temple-architecture rule appears here; the only ritual nuance is the setting—“tapovana,” a consecrated ascetic grove associated with austerity and disciplined living.