Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Duties of the Four Āśramas and the Power of Mauna

Devanagari script

यावत्प्राणाभिसंधानं तावदिच्छेच्च भोजनम् तदास्य वसतो ग्रामे ऽरण्यं भवति पृष्ठतः //

Transliteration

yāvatprāṇābhisaṃdhānaṃ tāvadicchecca bhojanam tadāsya vasato grāme 'raṇyaṃ bhavati pṛṣṭhataḥ //

Translation

One should desire food only so long as it sustains life. For the person who lives thus in a village, the wilderness is, as it were, left behind him.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as

• prāṇa: life-breath, vital life

• abhisaṃdhānaṃ: sustaining, maintaining, supporting (lit. ‘aiming/connecting toward’)

• tāvat: only that much

• icchet: should desire

• ca: and

• bhojanam: food, eating

• tadā: then

• asya: of him, for him

• vasataḥ: living, residing

• grāme: in a village/settlement

• araṇyam: forest, wilderness

• bhavati: becomes, is

• pṛṣṭhataḥ: behind, at one’s back

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (instructing Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Nīti
• Householder
• Moderation
• Vairāgya

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches a survival-level principle—take only what sustains life—an ethic that also supports stability in times of scarcity and upheaval.

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

It promotes restraint (mitāhāra) and non-indulgence: a householder (and likewise a king) should consume resources only to maintain life and duty, thereby preventing greed, dependency, and social harm.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the practical takeaway is lifestyle-discipline—living in a settled community with self-restraint yields the peace normally sought by retreating to the forest.