Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Maya’s Nectar-Reservoir in Tripura and the Revival of the Slain in the Tripur...

Devanagari script

धातुक्षये देह इव ग्रीष्मे चाल्पमिवोदकम् शैथिल्यं याति स रथः स्नेहो विप्रकृतो यथा //

Transliteration

dhātukṣaye deha iva grīṣme cālpamivodakam śaithilyaṃ yāti sa rathaḥ sneho viprakṛto yathā //

Translation

When its metals are depleted, that chariot becomes loose and unsound—just as a body weakens when its vital constituents waste away, or as a little water dwindles in summer—so too, when the lubrication is spoiled, the chariot slackens.

Word by Word

• dhātu-kṣaye: when the metals/constituent materials are worn away

• dehaḥ: the body

• iva: like

• grīṣme: in summer

• ca: and

• alpam: little

• iva: like

• udakam: water

• śaithilyam: looseness, slackness, loss of tightness

• yāti: goes/comes to

• saḥ: that

• rathaḥ: chariot

• snehaḥ: oil/grease, lubrication (also ‘affection’ metaphorically)

• viprakṛtaḥ: corrupted, spoiled, made defective

• yathā: just as

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (context: technical guidance within Matsya Purana’s applied sciences)

Entities Mentioned

• Ratha (chariot)
• Dhatu (metal/material constituents)
• Sneha (lubrication/oil)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Ratha Shastra
• Materials
• Maintenance
• Engineering

FAQs

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

It uses depletion imagery (dhātu-kṣaya) as a teaching analogy: just as constituents diminish and stability fails, so ordered systems decline when their sustaining factors are exhausted—an applied, non-cosmic echo of dissolution principles.

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

It frames good governance and household management as preventative maintenance: preserve resources, monitor wear, and ensure proper ‘sneha’ (functional lubrication/support) so essential vehicles and tools remain reliable for duty and protection.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Its Vastuvidya takeaway is technical: structural integrity depends on sound materials and proper lubrication; neglect (metal wear or spoiled oil) leads to śaithilya (loosening), a key defect to avoid in vehicles and mechanical assemblies.