Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Prayaga Mahatmya Begins: Yudhishthira’s Remorse

Devanagari script

वाराणस्यां मार्कण्डेयस् तेन ज्ञातो युधिष्ठिरः यथा वैक्लव्यमापन्नो रुदमानस्तु दुःखितः //

Transliteration

vārāṇasyāṃ mārkaṇḍeyas tena jñāto yudhiṣṭhiraḥ yathā vaiklavyamāpanno rudamānastu duḥkhitaḥ //

Translation

In Vārāṇasī, Mārkaṇḍeya was recognized by him—by Yudhiṣṭhira—who, overcome by helpless distress, was sorrowful and weeping.

Word by Word

• vārāṇasyām: in Vārāṇasī (Benares)

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the sage Mārkaṇḍeya

• tena: by him/thereby (by that person, i.e., by Yudhiṣṭhira)

• jñātaḥ: known/recognized

• yudhiṣṭhiraḥ: King Yudhiṣṭhira

• yathā: as/when

• vaiklavyam: helplessness, dejection, loss of composure

• āpannaḥ: having fallen into/overcome by

• rudamānaḥ: crying, weeping

• tu: indeed/and

• duḥkhitaḥ: afflicted with grief

Speaker

• Sūta (purāṇic narrator) describing the scene (narrative voice; not Matsya–Manu dialogue in this verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Vārāṇasī
• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Tags

• Puranic narrative
• Grief
• Rishi encounter
• Kingship
• Dharma inquiry

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it sets a narrative moment of human grief and helplessness that typically precedes a sage’s instruction, which elsewhere in the Purana can include cosmic cycles.

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

By portraying Yudhiṣṭhira as grief-stricken yet seeking/encountering a sage, it highlights a key dharma theme: a ruler should turn to learned rishis for guidance and regain steadiness (dhairya) rather than act from despair.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; the only indirect sacred-geographic cue is Vārāṇasī, a major tirtha where later instructions may connect to rites, temples, or dharma practices.