Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच पृष्टस्तु मनुना देवो मत्स्यरूपी जनार्दनः कथं शरवणे जातो देवः षड्वदनो विभो //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca pṛṣṭastu manunā devo matsyarūpī janārdanaḥ kathaṃ śaravaṇe jāto devaḥ ṣaḍvadano vibho //

Translation

Sūta said: When questioned by Manu, the Lord Janārdana—who had assumed the form of Matsya—was asked: “O mighty one, how was the six-faced god born in the Śaravana (reed-forest)?”

Word by Word

• सूत (sūta): Sūta (the narrator)

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ): questioned/asked

• तु (tu): indeed/then

• मनुना (manunā): by Manu

• देवः (devaḥ): the Lord/the deity

• मत्स्यरूपी (matsyarūpī): having the form of a fish (Matsya-form)

• जनार्दनः (janārdanaḥ): Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

• कथम् (katham): how

• शरवणे (śaravaṇe): in Śaravana, the reed-forest/thicket of reeds

• जातः (jātaḥ): was born/arose

• देवः (devaḥ): the god

• षड्वदनः (ṣaḍvadanaḥ): the six-faced one (Skanda/Kārttikeya)

• विभो (vibho): O mighty one, O all-powerful Lord

Speaker

• Sūta

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• Manu (Vaivasvata Manu)
• Janārdana (Vishnu)
• Matsya (Fish incarnation)
• Ṣaḍvadana (Skanda/Kārttikeya)
• Śaravana (reed-forest)

Tags

• Skanda
• Matsya-Avatara
• Puranic dialogue
• Deva-janma
• Mythic origins

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it frames a question posed to Lord Matsya (Viṣṇu) within the Manu dialogue, leading into the origin-story of the six-faced deity (Skanda).

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

Indirectly: Manu’s inquiry models the dharmic role of a ruler and householder—seeking authoritative sacred knowledge from the Lord to govern and live with right understanding, even when the topic is a deity’s origin.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure appears in this verse; the key ritual-geographic marker is “Śaravana” (reed-forest), a sacred setting that signals an upcoming narrative tied to divine birth and related worship traditions.