Shloka 29

Matsya Purana — Origin of Soma

Devanagari script

कदाचिदुद्यानगतामपश्यद् अनेकपुष्पाभरणैश्च शोभिताम् बृहन्नितम्बस्तनभारखेदात् पुष्पस्य भङ्गे ऽप्यतिदुर्बलाङ्गीम् //

Transliteration

kadācidudyānagatāmapaśyad anekapuṣpābharaṇaiśca śobhitām bṛhannitambastanabhārakhedāt puṣpasya bhaṅge 'pyatidurbalāṅgīm //

Translation

Once, he saw her in the garden—adorned and radiant with many floral ornaments—yet so delicate of limb that, wearied by the heavy burden of her broad hips and full breasts, she seemed frail even at the mere breaking of a flower.

Word by Word

कदाचित्once/sometimes

उद्यान-गताम्gone to the garden, being in the garden

अपश्यत्he saw

अनेक-पुष्प-आभरणैःwith many flower-ornaments

चand

शोभिताम्adorned, shining

बृहन्-नितम्बbroad-hipped (having large hips)

स्तन-भारthe weight of the breasts

खेदात्from fatigue, due to weariness

पुष्पस्यof a flower

भङ्गेin the breaking/plucking

अपिeven

अति-दुर्बल-अङ्गीम्very delicate-limbed, exceedingly frail-bodied (a woman).

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller voice; specific interlocutors not explicit in this single verse)

Entities Mentioned

Woman in the garden (unnamed)Narrated male observer (unnamed)

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a poetic narrative description of a woman seen in a garden, not a teaching on pralaya or cosmology.

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

Indirectly, it reflects courtly life and the narrative setting in which kings and householders appear; it does not prescribe dharma here, but sets a scene that may lead into ethical or relational consequences in the surrounding story.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the only setting detail is an udyāna (garden), a common royal/urban feature in Purāṇic narratives.