Shloka 31

Matsya Purana — Kārtavīrya Arjuna’s Solar Boon and the Genealogy from Kroṣṭu to the Yādava Lines

Devanagari script

जगाम धनुरादाय देशमन्यं ध्वजी रथी नर्मदां नृप एकाकी केवलं वृत्तिकामतः //

Transliteration

jagāma dhanurādāya deśamanyaṃ dhvajī rathī narmadāṃ nṛpa ekākī kevalaṃ vṛttikāmataḥ //

Translation

Taking up his bow, the banner-bearing king, a warrior in his chariot, went alone to another region—toward the Narmadā—driven solely by the desire to secure his livelihood.

Word by Word

• jagāma: went

• dhanuḥ: bow

• ādāya: having taken up

• deśam: to a country/region

• anyam: another

• dhvajī: bearing a banner/standard

• rathī: chariot-warrior

• narmadām: to the Narmadā (river/region)

• nṛpaḥ: king

• ekākī: alone

• kevalam: only/solely

• vṛtti-kāmataḥ: from desire for vṛtti (maintenance, livelihood), for the sake of subsistence

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the king’s actions (narrative voice within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Narmadā

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Kingship
• Journey
• Livelihood
• Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it is a narrative detail about a king’s solitary journey toward the Narmadā for the sake of sustenance.

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

It highlights vṛtti (right means of maintenance): even a ruler may undertake hardship personally, acting with self-reliance and purpose, suggesting disciplined pursuit of legitimate sustenance rather than indulgence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated; the only locational marker is the Narmadā, which can serve as a sacred-geographical setting in broader Purāṇic context.