Shloka 38

Matsya Purana — Inquiry into Yayāti’s Story and the Kacha–Devayānī Episode

Devanagari script

स पुनर्देवयान्युक्तः पुष्पाहारे यदृच्छया वनं ययौ कचो विप्रः पठन्ब्रह्म च शाश्वतम् //

Transliteration

sa punardevayānyuktaḥ puṣpāhāre yadṛcchayā vanaṃ yayau kaco vipraḥ paṭhanbrahma ca śāśvatam //

Translation

Then Kaca, the brahmin, urged once more by Devayānī, went into the forest—living as chance allowed, taking flowers as his food—while reciting the eternal Brahman, the sacred Vedic teaching.

Word by Word

• स (sa): he

• पुनर् (punar): again

• देवयानी-उक्तः (devayānī-uktaḥ): spoken to/urged by Devayānī

• पुष्प-आहारे (puṣpa-āhāre): having flowers as food, living on flowers

• यदृच्छया (yadṛcchayā): by chance, as it comes unasked, spontaneously

• वनम् (vanaṃ): to the forest

• ययौ (yayau): went

• कचः (kacaḥ): Kaca

• विप्रः (vipraḥ): brahmin, learned priest

• पठन् (paṭhan): reciting, studying

• ब्रह्म (brahma): Brahman/Veda, sacred knowledge

• च (ca): and

• शाश्वतम् (śāśvatam): eternal, everlasting

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the episode (narrative voice within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Devayānī
• Kaca
• Brahman (Vedic knowledge)

Tags

• Tapas
• Brahmacharya
• VedicStudy
• ForestLife
• Ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya directly; it highlights ascetic conduct—forest-dwelling, simple subsistence, and recitation of eternal sacred knowledge—rather than cosmology.

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

By portraying a brahmin living simply and devoted to study, the verse reinforces a key Matsya Purana ethic: society is sustained when each varna upholds its dharma—here, the brahmin’s duty of svādhyāya (scriptural recitation) and restraint, which kings and householders are expected to honor and support.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-architecture rule is stated here; the ritual takeaway is the primacy of svādhyāya—continuous recitation/study of sacred teaching—as a purifying discipline.