Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — Inquiry into Taraka’s Slaying and the Prelude to Guha

Devanagari script

*ऋषय ऊचुः कथं मत्स्येन कथितस् तारकस्य वधो महान् कस्मिन्काले विनिर्वृत्ता कथेयं सूतनन्दन //

Transliteration

*ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathaṃ matsyena kathitas tārakasya vadho mahān kasminkāle vinirvṛttā katheyaṃ sūtanandana //

Translation

The sages said: “How did Lord Matsya recount the great slaying of Tāraka? At what time did this narrative take place, O son of Sūta?”

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages

• ऊचुः: said

• कथम्: how

• मत्स्येन: by Matsya (Lord Matsya)

• कथितः: was narrated/told

• तारकस्य: of Tāraka

• वधः: slaying

• महान्: great

• कस्मिन् काले: at what time/when

• विनिर्वृत्ता: occurred/took place/was brought to completion

• कथा इयम्: this story/narrative

• सूतनन्दन: O son of Sūta (address to the narrator).

Speaker

• Sages (Ṛṣis), addressing Sūtanandana (the Sūta’s son / narrator)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Tāraka
• Sages (Ṛṣis)
• Sūtanandana

Tags

• Puranic Narrative
• Deva-Asura Conflict
• Matsya Teachings
• Chronology
• Inquiry

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it functions as a framing question, asking when and how Lord Matsya narrated the episode of Tāraka’s slaying.

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

Indirectly, it models dharmic inquiry: sages seek precise sources and timing for a moral-historical account. In the Matsya Purana, such careful questioning supports right understanding (śravaṇa) before applying teachings to conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, iconography, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is a narrative transition introducing the Tāraka-vadha account and its chronology.