Shloka 50

Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines

Devanagari script

द्विपदां बहवो ह्य् एते धर्म एष गवां स्मृतः कार्याकार्ये न वागम्यागमनं च तथैव च //

Transliteration

dvipadāṃ bahavo hy ete dharma eṣa gavāṃ smṛtaḥ kāryākārye na vāgamyāgamanaṃ ca tathaiva ca //

Translation

Many indeed are these duties for two-footed beings (humans); but for cattle this is declared to be their dharma: in matters of what should and should not be done, there is no question of speech, nor of ‘going’ and ‘not going’ as deliberate moral choice.

Word by Word

• dvipadām: of two-footed beings (humans)

• bahavaḥ: many

• hi: indeed

• ete: these

• dharmaḥ: duties / dharma

• eṣaḥ: this

• gavām: of cows/cattle

• smṛtaḥ: is remembered/declared

• kāryākārye: regarding what is to be done and what is not to be done

• na: not

• vāk: speech

• amya-āgamanaṃ (vāgamyāgamanaṃ): going/not-going as a chosen course (deliberate movement/abstention)

• ca: and

• tathā eva: just so/likewise

• ca: also.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating Purāṇic dharma teaching; framed as instruction ultimately attributed to the Matsya Purāṇa’s discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Dharma
• Gavām (cattle/cows)
• Dvipadāḥ (humans)

Tags

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Rajadharma
• Social order
• Conduct

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it focuses on dharma and moral agency, distinguishing human responsibility from the instinctive nature of cattle.

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

It implies that humans—especially rulers and householders—must consciously discern kārya vs. akārya (right vs. wrong action). Unlike animals, they are accountable for deliberate choices in speech and conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated here; the takeaway is ethical: deliberate discernment (kārya/akārya) is a human duty, which underlies correct ritual and governance decisions in other chapters.