Shloka 81

Matsya Purana — Division of Bhārata-varṣa

Devanagari script

तेषां मूत्रं पुरीषं वा दिक्ष्वष्टासु च सर्वशः ईश्वरानुग्रहाद्भूमिर् मृतांश्च ग्रसते तु तान् //

Transliteration

teṣāṃ mūtraṃ purīṣaṃ vā dikṣvaṣṭāsu ca sarvaśaḥ īśvarānugrahādbhūmir mṛtāṃśca grasate tu tān //

Translation

Whether their urine or their excrement is cast in any manner in all the eight directions, by the Lord’s grace the Earth swallows it up—and she also consumes those who are dead.

Word by Word

• teṣām: of them/for those people

• mūtram: urine

• purīṣam: feces, excrement

• vā: or

• dikṣu: in the directions

• aṣṭāsu: in the eight (directions)

• ca: and

• sarvaśaḥ: everywhere, in every way

• īśvara-anugrahāt: by the favor/grace of the Lord

• bhūmiḥ: the Earth

• mṛtān: the dead (bodies)/those who have died

• ca: and

• grasate: swallows, engulfs, absorbs

• tu: indeed

• tān: them.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution for this Pralaya-oriented discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Ishvara (the Lord)
• Bhumi (Earth)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Ashaucha
• Ritual Purity
• Cosmic Order
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It presents the Earth as a divinely empowered absorber: by Ishvara’s grace she takes back bodily waste and even the dead, highlighting a Pralaya-like principle of re-absorption and cosmic cleansing.

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

It underscores the dharmic concern for purity and proper handling of impurity (waste and death). A householder (and a king through governance) must maintain cleanliness and rites around impurity, while recognizing that ultimate purification is rooted in divine order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it aligns with ashaucha and purification concepts: waste and corpses are to be returned to the earth (burial/cremation and disposal norms), reinforcing why sacred spaces (temples, yajña areas) require strict cleanliness and controlled directions/places for impure acts.