Shloka 23

Matsya Purana — Śiva–Pārvatī Quarrel and Pārvatī’s Resolve for Austerity to Attain Gaurī-hood

Devanagari script

तथा बहु किमुक्तेन अलं वाचा श्रमेण ते श्मशानवासान् निर्भीस् त्वं नग्नत्वान्न तव त्रपा निर्घृणत्वं कपालित्वाद् दया ते विगता चिरम् //

Transliteration

tathā bahu kimuktena alaṃ vācā śrameṇa te śmaśānavāsān nirbhīs tvaṃ nagnatvānna tava trapā nirghṛṇatvaṃ kapālitvād dayā te vigatā ciram //

Translation

But why say more? Enough—my words are wasted effort on you. Dwelling in cremation grounds, you have become fearless; because of your nakedness you feel no shame. And because you follow the skull-bearing way, you have become pitiless—your compassion has long since vanished.

Word by Word

• तथा (tathā): thus/so

• बहु (bahu): much/many

• किम् (kim): what/why

• उक्तेन (uktena): by what is said/by speaking

• अलम् (alam): enough

• वाचा (vācā): by speech/with words

• श्रमेण (śrameṇa): with exertion/effort

• ते (te): for you/your

• श्मशानवासान् (śmaśānavāsān): one who dwells in cremation grounds

• निर्भीः (nirbhīḥ): fearless

• त्वम् (tvaṃ): you

• नग्नत्वात् (nagnatvāt): due to nakedness

• न (na): not

• तव (tava): your

• त्रपा (trapā): shame/modesty

• निर्घृणत्वम् (nirghṛṇatvam): mercilessness/pitilessness

• कपालित्वात् (kapālitvāt): due to being a kapālin (skull-bearer)/following the skull-bearing vow

• दया (dayā): compassion/mercy

• ते (te): your

• विगता (vigatā): gone/vanished

• चिरम् (ciram): long (ago)/for a long time

Speaker

• A moral critic/narratorial voice within the Matsya Purana (speaker not explicitly identified from the single verse alone)

Entities Mentioned

• Śmaśāna (cremation ground)
• Kapālin/Kapālika (skull-bearer ascetic)

Tags

• Shaiva-asceticism
• Ethics
• Cremation-ground vows
• Vairagya
• Dharma

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is ethical and polemical, criticizing a cremation-ground, skull-bearing ascetic life as leading to shamelessness and loss of compassion rather than discussing cosmic dissolution.

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

It implicitly upholds social-ethical virtues—modesty (trapā) and compassion (dayā)—which are central to household and royal dharma; it warns that practices producing hardness of heart and contempt for norms are contrary to sustaining society.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated; the only ritual-cultural reference is to cremation-ground dwelling and skull-bearing vows, cited here as markers of an extreme ascetic identity being criticized.