Shloka 42

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

Devanagari script

यस्माद्वनं प्रदग्धं वै विश्रुतं मम हैहय तस्मात्ते दुष्करं कर्म कृतमन्यो हरिष्यति //

Transliteration

yasmādvanaṃ pradagdhaṃ vai viśrutaṃ mama haihaya tasmātte duṣkaraṃ karma kṛtamanyo hariṣyati //

Translation

Since my forest has indeed been burned down—and by that deed you, O Haihaya, have become notorious—therefore the hard-won act you performed will have its fruit and glory seized by another.

Word by Word

• yasmāt: because/since

• vanam: the forest

• pradagdham: burned, set on fire

• vai: indeed, surely

• viśrutam: widely known, notorious/famed

• mama: mine

• haihaya: O Haihaya (address to a Haihaya king/warrior)

• tasmāt: therefore

• te: your

• duṣkaram: difficult, arduous (hard-to-achieve)

• karma: deed, act

• kṛtam: done, accomplished

• anyaḥ: another (person)

• hariṣyati: will take away, will seize, will deprive (you of it)

Speaker

• Narrator (Puranic dialogue frame; likely Sūta conveying the account as part of the Haihaya lineage episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Haihaya

Tags

• Dynasties
• Royal karma
• Transgression
• Fame and infamy
• Retribution

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya or cosmology; it focuses on moral causality in a dynastic narrative—how a notorious wrongdoing leads to loss of the reward and recognition of one’s achievements.

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

It warns that a ruler’s unlawful violence (here, burning a forest) brings infamy and undermines royal merit: even difficult achievements can be stripped away, implying that kings must protect lands and subjects and avoid destructive, unrighteous acts.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu/temple-building or ritual procedure is stated; the only actionable takeaway is ethical—avoid destructive acts against forests and protected domains, as they negate merit and invite reversal of success.