Shloka 32

Matsya Purana — Maya’s War-Counsel to the Danavas and the Moonlit Revels in Tripura

Devanagari script

क्वचित्प्रवृत्तं मधुराभिगानं कामस्य बाणैः सुकृतं निधानम् आपानभूमीषु सुखप्रमेयं गेयं प्रवृत्तं त्वथ साधयन्ति //

Transliteration

kvacitpravṛttaṃ madhurābhigānaṃ kāmasya bāṇaiḥ sukṛtaṃ nidhānam āpānabhūmīṣu sukhaprameyaṃ geyaṃ pravṛttaṃ tvatha sādhayanti //

Translation

In some places sweet singing begins—like a treasured store won by the arrows of Kāma; and in drinking-halls they then carry on measured, pleasure-giving songs, setting such music in motion and bringing it to completion.

Word by Word

• kvacit: somewhere/at times

• pravṛttam: set in motion, begun

• madhura-abhigānam: sweet singing/chanting

• kāmasya: of Kāma (desire, the god of love)

• bāṇaiḥ: by the arrows

• sukṛtam: well-made, well-accomplished

• nidhānam: treasure, storehouse

• āpāna-bhūmīṣu: in drinking places/taverns/banquet-halls

• sukha-prameyam: measured/regulated so as to yield pleasure, pleasure-defining

• geyam: that which is to be sung, song

• pravṛttam: begun, commenced

• tu/atha: then/and indeed

• sādhayanti: they accomplish, carry through, perform to completion.

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing social/courtly scenes (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana narrative style)

Entities Mentioned

• Kāma

Tags

• Gita
• Rasa
• Kama
• Courtly Life
• Cultural Practices

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is not about pralaya or cosmogony; it portrays worldly, aesthetic life through the imagery of music, pleasure, and Kāma.

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

Indirectly, it reflects regulated enjoyment: pleasures like music and gatherings are portrayed as ‘measured’ (prameya), implying disciplined recreation rather than uncontrolled indulgence—an ideal often expected in household and courtly life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; however, the mention of āpāna-bhūmi (drinking/banquet spaces) hints at designated social venues within settlements, relevant only as a cultural-note rather than a technical architectural prescription.