Shloka 33

Matsya Purana — Origin of Soma

Devanagari script

शशाक शापं न च दातुम् अस्मै न मन्त्रशस्त्राग्निविषैरशेषैः तस्यापकर्तुं विविधैरुपायैर् नैवाभिचारैरपि वागधीशः //

Transliteration

śaśāka śāpaṃ na ca dātum asmai na mantraśastrāgniviṣairaśeṣaiḥ tasyāpakartuṃ vividhairupāyair naivābhicārairapi vāgadhīśaḥ //

Translation

Vāgadhīśa was not able to cast a curse upon him, nor could he harm him by any means—whether by mantras, weapons, fire, every kind of poison, diverse stratagems, or even acts of sorcery (abhicāra).

Word by Word

• śaśāka: was able, had the power

• śāpam: a curse

• na ca: and not

• dātum: to give/utter (to cast)

• asmai: to him

• na: nor

• mantra: sacred formulas/spells

• śastra: weapons

• agni: fire

• viṣaiḥ: by poisons

• aśeṣaiḥ: entirely, without remainder, of every kind

• tasya: of him/against him

• apakartum: to injure, to bring about harm

• vividhaiḥ: by various

• upāyaiḥ: means, methods, stratagems

• na eva: not at all

• abhicāraiḥ: by hostile rites/sorcery (black magic)

• api: even

• vāgadhīśaḥ: Vāgadhīśa (lord of speech/name of a powerful figure).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) / Purāṇic narrator (contextual narration of an episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Vāgadhīśa
• śāpa (curse)
• mantra
• abhicāra

Tags

• Dharma
• Protection
• Mantra
• Abhicara
• PuranicNarrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya directly; it emphasizes inviolability—someone protected by dharma or divine favor cannot be harmed even through extreme ritual or material means.

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

It supports a dharmic ethic: rulers and householders should rely on righteous conduct and legitimate protection rather than resorting to curses, poison, or abhicāra; such hostile means are portrayed as ultimately ineffective against the rightly protected.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it names abhicāra and mantra as operative categories, but frames them as powerless in this case—useful for understanding Matsya Purana’s stance on hostile rites rather than Vastu or temple-building rules.