Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — Dialogue of Aṣṭaka and Yayāti: Exhaustion of Merit

Devanagari script

*अष्टक उवाच यदा तु तांस् ते वितुदन्ते वयांसि तथा गृध्राः शितिकण्ठाः पतंगाः कथं भवन्ति कथमाभवन्ति त्वत्तो भौमं नरकमहं शृणोमि //

Transliteration

*aṣṭaka uvāca yadā tu tāṃs te vitudante vayāṃsi tathā gṛdhrāḥ śitikaṇṭhāḥ pataṃgāḥ kathaṃ bhavanti kathamābhavanti tvatto bhaumaṃ narakamahaṃ śṛṇomi //

Translation

Aṣṭaka said: “When birds peck at them, and likewise vultures and dark-throated flying creatures torment them—how do these beings come to be, and how did they arise? From you I wish to hear about the earthly hell (Bhauma-naraka).”

Word by Word

• अष्टक (aṣṭaka): Aṣṭaka

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• यदा (yadā): when

• तु (tu): indeed/then

• तान् (tān): them

• ते (te): those

• वितुदन्ते (vitudante): pierce/peck/tear at

• वयांसि (vayāṃsi): birds

• तथा (tathā): likewise

• गृध्राः (gṛdhrāḥ): vultures

• शितिकण्ठाः (śitikaṇṭhāḥ): dark-throated/black-necked (creatures)

• पतंगाः (pataṃgāḥ): flying creatures/insects

• कथं (kathaṃ): how

• भवन्ति (bhavanti): they become/are

• कथम् (katham): how

• आभवन्ति (ābhavanti): they came into being/arose

• त्वत्तः (tvatto): from you

• भौमम् (bhaumam): earthly/connected with the earth

• नरकम् (narakam): hell

• अहम् (aham): I

• शृणोमि (śṛṇomi): wish to hear/hear.

Speaker

• Aṣṭaka

Entities Mentioned

• Aṣṭaka
• Bhauma-naraka

Tags

• Naraka
• Karma
• Afterlife
• Sin and retribution
• Purāṇic cosmology

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it introduces a question about Bhauma-naraka (earthly hell) and the karmic mechanism by which tormenting creatures (birds, vultures, flying pests) arise in the context of punishment.

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

By asking how beings end up in hellish torment, the verse frames the Matsya Purana’s ethical warning: rulers and householders must uphold dharma (non-violence, truthfulness, just conduct, protection of dependents) to avoid karmic outcomes described as Naraka punishments.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; its significance is ethical-cosmological, focusing on Naraka and karmic retribution rather than architecture or iconography.