Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Pṛthu

Devanagari script

यक्षैश्च वसुधा दुग्धा पुरान्तर्धानम् ईप्सुभिः कृत्वा वैश्रवणं वत्सम् आमपात्रे महीपते //

Transliteration

yakṣaiśca vasudhā dugdhā purāntardhānam īpsubhiḥ kṛtvā vaiśravaṇaṃ vatsam āmapātre mahīpate //

Translation

O king, the Yakṣas once milked the Earth, desiring the power of disappearance (invisibility); having made Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) the calf, they drew it into an unbaked earthen vessel.

Word by Word

• यक्षैः (yakṣaiḥ): by the Yakṣas

• च (ca): and

• वसुधा (vasudhā): the Earth

• दुग्धा (dugdhā): was milked/drawn as milk

• पुरा (purā): formerly/once

• अन्तर्धानम् (antardhānam): disappearance, invisibility, power of concealment

• ईप्सुभिः (īpsubhiḥ): by those desiring/aspiring for

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having made/appointing

• वैश्रवणम् (vaiśravaṇam): Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

• वत्सम् (vatsam): the calf (used to stimulate milking)

• आमपात्रे (āmapātre): in an unbaked vessel, raw earthen pot

• महीपते (mahīpate): O lord of the earth/king.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic account to the listening sages (framed as instruction addressed to a king: mahīpate)

Entities Mentioned

• Yakṣas
• Vasudhā (Earth)
• Antardhāna (invisibility)
• Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

Tags

• Cosmogony
• Mythic resources
• Earth-milking
• Yakṣas
• Kubera

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it presents a cosmogonic motif where the Earth is “milked” to yield specific powers/resources—here, antardhāna (invisibility)—showing a structured distribution of capacities among classes of beings.

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

By addressing “O king,” the text models royal instruction: powers and wealth (Kubera/Vaiśravaṇa) are portrayed as regulated, obtained through proper means and rightful ‘containers,’ implying that rulers should manage resources ethically and within ordained limits rather than by mere force.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The detail “āma-pātra” (unbaked earthen vessel) reflects ritual-technical specificity about suitable receptacles; in Vedic-Purāṇic practice, the material of the vessel is not incidental and can correspond to the nature of what is being obtained or stored.