Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Prayaga Mahatmya Begins: Yudhishthira’s Remorse

Devanagari script

*मार्कण्डेय उवाच शृणु राजन्महाबाहो क्षत्रधर्मव्यवस्थितम् नैव दृष्टं रणे पापं युध्यमानस्य धीमतः //

Transliteration

*mārkaṇḍeya uvāca śṛṇu rājanmahābāho kṣatradharmavyavasthitam naiva dṛṣṭaṃ raṇe pāpaṃ yudhyamānasya dhīmataḥ //

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “Listen, O king of mighty arms, to the established code of Kṣatriya duty. For the wise man who fights in battle, no sin is seen (incurred) in war.”

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Markandeya (the sage)

• uvāca: said

• śṛṇu: listen

• rājan: O king

• mahābāho: O mighty-armed one

• kṣatra-dharma: the duty/law of the warrior-ruler class

• vyavasthitam: well-established, duly ordained

• na eva: not at all

• dṛṣṭam: is seen/found (i.e., counted)

• raṇe: in battle/war

• pāpam: sin, demerit

• yudhyamānasya: of one who is fighting/engaged in combat

• dhīmataḥ: of the wise/prudent man

Speaker

• Sage Mārkaṇḍeya

Entities Mentioned

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• King (rājan)
• Kṣatra-dharma

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Kshatriya Dharma
• Dharma
• War Ethics
• Punya-Papa

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on Rajadharma—specifically that duty-bound battle, when aligned with Kshatriya law, is not counted as sin for the wise warrior.

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

It instructs the king in Kshatriya duty: warfare undertaken as a righteous obligation (not from greed or cruelty) is treated as dharmic and not sinful for a prudent ruler fulfilling his protective role.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; its significance is ethical—defining the moral status of combat when performed according to Kshatriya-dharma.