Shloka 25

Matsya Purana — Manvantaras

Devanagari script

धर्मो धर्मगतिः प्रोक्तः शब्दो ह्येष क्रियात्मकः कुशलाकुशलौ चैव धर्माधर्मौ ब्रवीत्प्रभुः //

Transliteration

dharmo dharmagatiḥ proktaḥ śabdo hyeṣa kriyātmakaḥ kuśalākuśalau caiva dharmādharmau bravītprabhuḥ //

Translation

Dharma is declared to be the course, the guiding path of righteousness; this term is indeed action-oriented. The Lord explains that what is wholesome and what is unwholesome are called, respectively, dharma and adharma.

Word by Word

• dharmaḥ: dharma, righteousness, moral law

• dharma-gatiḥ: the path/course/trajectory of dharma

• proktaḥ: is declared/said

• śabdaḥ: the word/term

• hi: indeed

• eṣaḥ: this

• kriyā-ātmakaḥ: having the nature of action, defined through conduct

• kuśala: wholesome, skillful, beneficial

• akuśala: unwholesome, harmful

• ca eva: and indeed

• dharma-adharmau: dharma and adharma

• bravīt: says/teaches/defines

• prabhuḥ: the Lord, the authoritative teacher

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Dharma
• Adharma

Tags

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Karma
• Purana Teachings
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya directly; it defines dharma in practical terms—dharma and adharma are known through wholesome versus unwholesome actions, a framework meant to guide conduct across all cosmic phases.

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

It frames duty as action-based: a king or householder should judge policies and daily conduct by whether they are kuśala (beneficial, welfare-producing, stabilizing) or akuśala (harmful, disordering), treating the former as dharma and the latter as adharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No specific Vāstu or ritual procedure is named; however, the verse supplies a rule of interpretation used in ritual and temple-building ethics—actions that are beneficial, orderly, and non-harmful align with dharma, while harmful deviations align with adharma.