Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Solar Dynasty Prelude: Vivasvān–Saṃjñā–Chāyā

Devanagari script

मौर्ख्यात्कस्य न दुःखं स्याद् अथवा कर्मसंततिः अनिवार्या भवस्यापि का कथान्येषु जन्तुषु //

Transliteration

maurkhyātkasya na duḥkhaṃ syād athavā karmasaṃtatiḥ anivāryā bhavasyāpi kā kathānyeṣu jantuṣu //

Translation

From folly, who would not fall into sorrow? Moreover, the continuing chain of karma is unavoidable—even for Śiva; what then can be said of other living beings?

Word by Word

• मौर्ख्यात्: from foolishness/ignorance

• कस्य: of whom/for whom

• न: not

• दुःखम्: sorrow, suffering

• स्यात्: would arise/would be

• अथवा: or else/indeed

• कर्म-संततिः: continuity/sequence of actions and their results

• अनिवार्या: unavoidable, inescapable

• भवस्य: of Bhava (Śiva)

• अपि: even

• का कथा: what talk/what need to mention

• अन्येषु: in the case of others

• जन्तुषु: among creatures/living beings

Speaker

• Likely Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu in a didactic passage

Entities Mentioned

• Bhava (Shiva)

Tags

• Dharma
• Karma
• Suffering
• Ethics
• Didactic discourse

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches a broader metaphysical law: the continuity of karma is inescapable for embodied beings, which underlies why cycles of experience (including cosmic cycles) remain morally ordered.

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

It frames governance and household life as requiring vigilance against moha/ignorance: foolish decisions generate duḥkha, and since karmic consequences are unavoidable, a king or householder should act with dharma, foresight, and self-restraint.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is specified here; the takeaway is ethical: correct knowledge and disciplined action are prerequisites for any successful rite or sacred construction because karma’s results cannot be bypassed.