Shloka 5

Matsya Purana — Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā’s Quarrel

Devanagari script

ततो जलात् समुत्तीर्य ताः कन्याः सहितास्तदा वस्त्राणि जगृहुस्तानि यथासंस्थान्यनेकशः //

Transliteration

tato jalāt samuttīrya tāḥ kanyāḥ sahitāstadā vastrāṇi jagṛhustāni yathāsaṃsthānyanekaśaḥ //

Translation

Then, climbing up out of the water, those maidens together at that time took up their garments—many of them—each arranged according to its proper placement and order.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• jalāt: from the water

• samuttīrya: having come up/climbed out

• tāḥ: those

• kanyāḥ: maidens/young girls

• sahitāḥ: together/collectively

• tadā: at that time

• vastrāṇi: garments/clothes

• jagṛhuḥ: they took/they seized

• tāni: those (garments)

• yathā-saṃsthāni: as properly placed/according to correct arrangement

• anekaśaḥ: in many (pieces/ways), numerous

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) / Purāṇic narrator (contextual narration rather than direct dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• kanyāḥ (maidens)

Tags

• Matsya Purana narrative
• Bathing scene
• Social conduct
• Ritual purity
• Clothing etiquette

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmogony; it is a narrative detail describing maidens emerging from water and retrieving their garments in an orderly way.

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

Indirectly, it reflects expected social decorum—orderliness, propriety, and modest conduct—which a householder society is meant to uphold and a king is expected to protect through dharmic governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the imagery aligns with snāna (bathing) and post-bath propriety; there is no explicit Vāstu or temple-architecture instruction in this specific verse.