Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

ददौ स दश धर्माय कश्यपाय त्रयोदश सप्तविंशतिं सोमाय चतस्रो ऽरिष्टनेमये //

Transliteration

dadau sa daśa dharmāya kaśyapāya trayodaśa saptaviṃśatiṃ somāya catasro 'riṣṭanemaye //

Translation

“He allotted ten (daughters) to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, twenty-seven to Soma, and four to Ariṣṭanemi.”

Word by Word

• dadau: he gave/allotted

• saḥ: he

• daśa: ten

• dharmāya: to Dharma

• kaśyapāya: to Kaśyapa

• trayodaśa: thirteen

• saptaviṃśatim: twenty-seven

• somāya: to Soma (the Moon)

• catasraḥ: four

• ariṣṭanemaye: to Ariṣṭanemi

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Dharma
• Kaśyapa
• Soma
• Ariṣṭanemi

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Vamsha
• Puranic enumeration
• Deities and sages

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it records a genealogical/allotment enumeration, typical of creation-era ordering of beings and lineages rather than dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharma by preserving lineage knowledge (vaṃśa-smṛti), which a king and householders uphold through proper rites, ancestry remembrance, and social-religious continuity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-rule detail appears here; the ritual relevance is primarily genealogical—used to situate deities/sages in śrāddha, calendrical, and mythic frameworks (not construction guidelines).