Shloka 48

Matsya Purana — Paurava Genealogy

Devanagari script

तेषां दुर्योधनः श्रेष्ठः सर्वक्षत्रस्य वै प्रभुः माद्री कुन्ती तथा चैव पाण्डोर्भार्ये बभूवतुः //

Transliteration

teṣāṃ duryodhanaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarvakṣatrasya vai prabhuḥ mādrī kuntī tathā caiva pāṇḍorbhārye babhūvatuḥ //

Translation

Among them, Duryodhana was the foremost—indeed, a lord over the whole body of kṣatriyas. And Mādrī and Kuntī became the two wives of Pāṇḍu.

Word by Word

• teṣām: among them/of them

• duryodhanaḥ: Duryodhana

• śreṣṭhaḥ: foremost, chief

• sarva-kṣatrasya: of all the kṣatriya class/warrior nobility

• vai: indeed, certainly

• prabhuḥ: lord, ruler

• mādrī: Mādrī

• kuntī: Kuntī

• tathā ca eva: and likewise/also indeed

• pāṇḍoḥ: of Pāṇḍu

• bhārye: (as) wives (dual)

• babhūvatuḥ: became (dual).

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting lineage material (vaṃśa) within the Matsya Purāṇa frame

Entities Mentioned

• Duryodhana
• Kuntī
• Mādrī
• Pāṇḍu
• Kṣatriyas

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Kuru
• Pāṇḍava
• Royal Lineage

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is genealogical, highlighting prominent figures of the Kuru-Pāṇḍava line rather than cosmology or pralaya narratives.

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

By presenting Duryodhana as a leading kṣatriya figure and noting Pāṇḍu’s marriage to Kuntī and Mādrī, it situates royal authority and household alliances (marriage) as key elements in dynastic continuity—an underlying concern of rājadharma and kula-dharma in Purāṇic historiography.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vāstu, temple-architecture, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it functions as a lineage note within the dynastic narration.