Shloka 23

Matsya Purana — Śukra Warns Vṛṣaparvan: The Ripening of Adharma and Devayānī’s Demand for Śar...

Devanagari script

*शर्मिष्ठोवाच अहं कन्यासहस्रेण दाशी ते परिचारिका ध्रुवं त्वां तत्र यास्यामि यत्र दास्यति ते पिता //

Transliteration

*śarmiṣṭhovāca ahaṃ kanyāsahasreṇa dāśī te paricārikā dhruvaṃ tvāṃ tatra yāsyāmi yatra dāsyati te pitā //

Translation

Śarmiṣṭhā said: “I, together with a thousand maidens, shall be your slave and attendant. I will surely go with you to that place where your father will give you (in marriage).”

Word by Word

• śarmiṣṭhā uvāca: Śarmiṣṭhā said

• aham: I

• kanyā-sahasreṇa: with a thousand maidens

• dāsī: a female servant/slave

• te: your/to you

• paricārikā: attendant, handmaiden

• dhruvam: certainly, surely

• tvām: you

• tatra: there

• yāsyāmi: I will go

• yatra: where

• dāsyati: will give (bestow, esp. in marriage)

• te: your

• pitā: father

Speaker

• Śarmiṣṭhā

Entities Mentioned

• Śarmiṣṭhā
• Devayānī
• Devayānī’s father (Śukra)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Royal Narrative
• Dharma
• Service

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to a dynastic-ethical narrative where Śarmiṣṭhā vows servitude, emphasizing social duty and consequences of interpersonal conflict.

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

It highlights dharma in relationships—accepting responsibility, making amends, and honoring guardians’ decisions (the father giving the daughter in marriage). Such narratives inform royal and household ethics: restraint, restitution, and social order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its significance is moral and genealogical within the Matsya Purana’s royal narrative stream.