Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Mahāgaurī’s Entry

Devanagari script

क्रोधेन नश्यते कीर्तिः क्रोधो हन्ति स्थिरां श्रियम् अपरिच्छिन्नतत्त्वार्था पुत्रं शापितवत्यहम् विपरीतार्थबुद्धीनां सुलभो विपदोदयः //

Transliteration

krodhena naśyate kīrtiḥ krodho hanti sthirāṃ śriyam aparicchinnatattvārthā putraṃ śāpitavatyaham viparītārthabuddhīnāṃ sulabho vipadodayaḥ //

Translation

By anger one’s good fame is destroyed; anger strikes down even stable prosperity. Not having clearly discerned the true meaning of reality, I ended up cursing my own son. For those whose understanding runs contrary to what is right, the arising of misfortune comes easily.

Word by Word

• क्रोधेन: by anger

• नश्यते: is destroyed/perishes

• कीर्तिः: fame, good reputation

• क्रोधः: anger

• हन्ति: kills/strikes down

• स्थिराम्: steady, enduring

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune, auspiciousness

• अपरिच्छिन्न: not clearly ascertained, not properly determined

• तत्त्वार्था: the true meaning/essential reality

• पुत्रम्: (one's) son

• शापितवती: having cursed

• अहम्: I

• विपरीत: inverted, contrary, perverse

• अर्थ: meaning/right course

• बुद्धीनाम्: of those whose understanding/intellect

• सुलभः: easy to obtain, readily arising

• विपद्-उदयः: the rise/origination of calamity, misfortune.

Speaker

• A remorseful narrator within the Rajadharma/Nīti discourse (speaker not explicit in the provided excerpt; framed as a self-confession about cursing one’s son)

Entities Mentioned

• (implicit) son (putra)
• anger (krodha)
• fame (kīrti)
• prosperity (śrī)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Niti
• Krodha
• Self-control
• Ethical teaching

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is an ethical warning that anger and distorted understanding quickly generate personal and social “calamity” (vipad), undermining order rather than describing cosmic dissolution.

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

It teaches restraint (damā) and careful discernment: a king or householder who acts in anger loses reputation and stable prosperity, and may commit irreversible injustices—symbolized here by the tragic act of cursing one’s own son.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated directly; the takeaway is foundational—sound judgment and freedom from anger are prerequisites for correct ritual decisions and responsible patronage (including temple-building), since “perverted understanding” leads to harmful outcomes.