Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

तद्वै सहस्रं बाहूनां हेमतालवनं यथा यत्रापवस्तु संक्रुद्धो ह्य् अर्जुनं शप्तवान्प्रभुः //

Transliteration

tadvai sahasraṃ bāhūnāṃ hematālavanaṃ yathā yatrāpavastu saṃkruddho hy arjunaṃ śaptavānprabhuḥ //

Translation

Indeed, his thousand arms were like a grove of golden palm-trees; and there, enraged at the offence done to him, the mighty lord pronounced a curse upon Arjuna.

Word by Word

• tat: that/indeed

• vai: truly/indeed

• sahasram: a thousand

• bāhūnām: of arms

• hema-tāla-vanam: a forest (vana) of golden (hema) palm-trees (tāla)

• yathā: like/as

• yatra: where/there

• apavastu: an offence/insult (wrong done)

• saṃkruddhaḥ: thoroughly enraged

• hi: indeed

• arjunam: (upon) Arjuna (Kartavīrya Arjuna)

• śaptavān: cursed/uttered a curse

• prabhuḥ: the powerful lord/master (contextually, the sage-lord who cursed him).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) / Purana narrator describing the episode

Entities Mentioned

• Arjuna (Kartavīrya Arjuna/Sahasrabahu)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Royal legends
• Curse
• Kshatriya power
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it belongs to a royal-legend episode, using poetic imagery to describe Sahasrabahu and introducing the ethical consequence of a curse arising from an offence.

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

It implies a core dharmic warning: extraordinary power and splendour do not excuse wrongdoing—an offence (apavastu) provokes righteous anger and leads to consequences (śāpa), a frequent Purāṇic lesson for rulers about restraint and respect.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is taught here; the only technical element is a simile (golden palm-grove) used as an iconographic-style visual description of Sahasrabahu’s many arms.