Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Ravi-Saṅkrānti Vow: Udyāpana

Devanagari script

ततस्तु कर्मक्षयमाप्य सप्तद्वीपाधिपः स्यात्कुलशीलयुक्तः सृष्टेर्मुखे ऽव्यङ्गवपुः सभार्यः प्रभूतपुत्रान्वयवन्दिताङ्घ्रिः //

Transliteration

tatastu karmakṣayamāpya saptadvīpādhipaḥ syātkulaśīlayuktaḥ sṛṣṭermukhe 'vyaṅgavapuḥ sabhāryaḥ prabhūtaputrānvayavanditāṅghriḥ //

Translation

Then, when the residue of former karmic consequences has been exhausted, he becomes the lord of the seven continents—endowed with noble lineage and good conduct. At the dawn of creation he is born with an unblemished body, together with a wife, and his feet are revered by a great line of descendants and many sons.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tu: indeed/and

• karma-kṣayam: the exhaustion (kṣaya) of karma (its remaining effects)

• āpya: having attained/reached

• sapta-dvīpa-adhipaḥ: sovereign of the seven dvīpas (continents/world-divisions)

• syāt: becomes/would become

• kula-śīla-yuktaḥ: endowed with good family (kula) and virtuous conduct (śīla)

• sṛṣṭeḥ mukhe: at the beginning/dawn of creation

• avyaṅga-vapuḥ: having a flawless, unmarred body (without deformity)

• sa-bhāryaḥ: together with a wife

• prabhūta: abundant/many

• putra: sons

• anvaya: lineage/descendant-line

• vandita-aṅghriḥ: whose feet (aṅghri) are worshipped/revered (vandita) (i.e., honored by descendants).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Sapta-dvipa (seven continents)

Tags

• Karma-phala
• Kingship
• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Creation-era ideals

FAQs

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

It points to the post-cycle renewal of order: at the dawn of creation (sṛṣṭer mukhe), an ideal ruler arises once karmic residues are exhausted, indicating continuity of moral causality across cosmic cycles rather than describing the flood directly.

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

It frames kingship as the fruit of purified karma and emphasizes qualifications—kula (noble responsibility), śīla (ethical conduct), marital stability (sabhārya), and sustaining a righteous lineage—core ideals for a ruler and, by extension, a householder.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple rule is stated; the closest ritual note is the honor (vandita) shown to the ruler’s feet by descendants, reflecting a culture of ancestral/lineage reverence rather than architectural prescription.