Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

असुरैः सुरायां भवतो ऽस्मि दत्तो हत्वा दग्ध्वा चूर्णयित्वा च काव्य ब्राह्मीं मायां त्व् आसुरी त्व् अत्र माया त्वयि स्थिते कथम् एवाभिबाधते //

Transliteration

asuraiḥ surāyāṃ bhavato 'smi datto hatvā dagdhvā cūrṇayitvā ca kāvya brāhmīṃ māyāṃ tv āsurī tv atra māyā tvayi sthite katham evābhibādhate //

Translation

“By the Asuras I have been offered to you in the sacrificial liquor (surā). Having slain, burned, and ground to powder the Brahmanical power of Kāvya (Śukra), this Asuric Māyā is now present here; yet, when you yourself abide as the support of Māyā, how can it possibly afflict you?”

Word by Word

• asuraiḥ: by the Asuras

• surāyām: in/with surā (ritual liquor)

• bhavataḥ: to you/for you

• asmi: I am

• dattaḥ: given/offered

• hatvā: having killed/smitten

• dagdhvā: having burned

• cūrṇayitvā: having pulverized/ground to powder

• ca: and

• kāvya: Kāvya (Śukra, son of Kavi

• brāhmīm: Brahmanical (sacred, priestly) / belonging to Brahman-power

• māyām: māyā (illusion, wondrous power, magical artifice)

• tv: (metrical particle)

• āsurīm: Asuric/demonic

• atra: here

• māyā: māyā

• tvayi: in you/with respect to you

• sthite: being established/abiding

• katham: how

• eva: indeed/possibly

• abhibādhate: can oppress/afflict/overpower

Speaker

• A devotee/observer addressing the Supreme (likely within the Matsya–Manu dialogue frame; the verse is phrased as a rhetorical address to the Lord)

Entities Mentioned

• Asuras
• Devas (implied by 'surāyām' and context)
• Kāvya (Śukra)
• Māyā

Tags

• Devasura
• Maya
• Vishnu
• Protection
• Theology

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe Pralaya; instead, it states a theological principle: Māyā (the power that veils and projects the world) cannot overpower the Supreme who is its very support and master.

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

It frames a practical ethic: rulers and householders should not be shaken by fear of hostile “māyā” (deception, propaganda, sorcery, or intimidation). By grounding themselves in dharma and devotion to the Supreme, they remain steady amid adversarial stratagems.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit ritual marker is “surā” (liquor) as an offering context, highlighting how impure or transgressive rites may be associated with Asuric practice; the verse contrasts such power with the higher, Brahmanical potency (brāhmī māyā) and the Lord’s transcendence over all ritual/magical forces.