Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Lineage of Yayāti through Yadu and the Deeds of Kārtavīrya Arjuna

Devanagari script

जातः करसहस्रेण सप्तद्वीपेश्वरो नृपः वर्षायुतं तपस्तेपे दुश्चरं पृथिवीपतिः //

Transliteration

jātaḥ karasahasreṇa saptadvīpeśvaro nṛpaḥ varṣāyutaṃ tapastepe duścaraṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ //

Translation

Born with a thousand hands, that king became the sovereign lord of the seven continents; the ruler of the earth performed severe, difficult austerities for ten thousand years.

Word by Word

जातः (jātaḥ)born

करसहस्रेण (karasahasreṇa)with a thousand hands/arms

सप्तद्वीप-ईश्वरः (saptadvīpa-īśvaraḥ)lord of the seven dvīpas (continents/island-realms)

नृपः (nṛpaḥ)king

वर्षायुतम् (varṣāyutam)ten thousand years

तपः (tapaḥ)austerity, ascetic discipline

तेपे (tepe)performed/practised

दुश्चरम् (duścaram)difficult to undertake, severe

पृथिवीपतिः (pṛthivīpatiḥ)lord of the earth, monarch

Speaker

Lord Matsya (Vishnu) narrating to Vaivasvata Manu (likely narrative voice within the Matsya Purana’s genealogical account)

Entities Mentioned

Saptadvipa (seven continents)A universal king (pṛthivīpati/nṛpa)

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights Puranic cosmography (the seven dvīpas) and the extraordinary ascetic power (tapas) by which a king attains universal sovereignty.

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

It presents the ideal of a ruler who combines worldly authority with disciplined self-restraint—suggesting that legitimate kingship in the Matsya Purana is supported by tapas (ethical and spiritual discipline), not merely conquest.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu Shastra or temple-ritual rule appears in this verse; its ritual-religious takeaway is the emphasis on long, severe tapas as a means to acquire merit, authority, and divine favor.