Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

आदातुं फलमूलानि स च तस्मिन्व्यलोकयत् रुदतीं तां प्रियां दीनां तनुप्रच्छादिताननाम् तां विलोक्य स दैत्येन्द्रः प्रोवाच परिसान्त्वयन् //

Transliteration

ādātuṃ phalamūlāni sa ca tasminvyalokayat rudatīṃ tāṃ priyāṃ dīnāṃ tanupracchāditānanām tāṃ vilokya sa daityendraḥ provāca parisāntvayan //

Translation

As he went to gather fruits and roots, he saw there his beloved—wretched and weeping, her face partly covered by her slender garment. Seeing her thus, the lord of the Daityas spoke, seeking to console her.

Word by Word

• ādātum: to take, to gather

• phala-mūlāni: fruits and roots

• sa: he

• ca: and

• tasmin: there/in that place

• vyalokayat: he saw/observed

• rudatīm: weeping

• tām: her

• priyām: beloved

• dīnām: distressed, pitiable

• tanu: slender, delicate

• pracchādita: covered/veiled

• ānanām: face

• vilokya: having seen

• daitya-indraḥ: lord of the Daityas (chief Asura)

• provāca: spoke

• pari-sāntvayan: consoling, soothing repeatedly

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the Daitya-king’s actions); the next speech is by the Daityendra (Daitya lord).

Entities Mentioned

• Daityendra (chief of the Daityas)
• Priyā (the beloved woman)

Tags

• Puranic narrative
• Consolation
• Forest episode
• Emotion in Itihasa-Purana
• Daitya lore

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya or cosmology; it is a narrative moment showing grief and the attempt to console, emphasizing human (and even Daitya) emotional response rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It highlights a dharmic social ideal relevant to rulers and householders alike: responding to distress with reassurance and compassionate speech (sāntvana), rather than neglecting a dependent or beloved person in sorrow.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, iconographic, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it functions as narrative setup for dialogue, not as a technical injunction.