Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — The Birth of Tāraka: Varāṅgī’s Lament

Devanagari script

सा मयोक्ता तु तन्वङ्गी दूयमानेन चेतसा किमेवं वर्तसे भीरु वद त्वं किं चिकीर्षसि //

Transliteration

sā mayoktā tu tanvaṅgī dūyamānena cetasā kimevaṃ vartase bhīru vada tvaṃ kiṃ cikīrṣasi //

Translation

But that slender-limbed woman, though addressed by me, remained with a mind consumed by sorrow. So I asked: “Why do you behave like this, O timid one? Tell me—what is it that you intend to do?”

Word by Word

• सा (sā): she

• मया (mayā): by me

• उक्ता (uktā): spoken to/addressed

• तु (tu): but/indeed

• तन्वङ्गी (tanvaṅgī): slender-limbed woman

• दूयमानेन (dūyamānena): being pained/afflicted

• चेतसा (cetasā): with the mind/heart

• किम् (kim): why/what

• एवम् (evam): thus/in this manner

• वर्तसे (vartase): you behave/you remain

• भीरु (bhīru): timid one

• वद (vada): speak/tell

• त्वम् (tvam): you

• किम् (kim): what

• चिकीर्षसि (cikīrṣasi): you wish to do/you intend

Speaker

• Unspecified narrator/speaker within the episode (a male interlocutor addressing a woman)

Tags

• Dialogue
• Emotional counsel
• Intent
• Dharma
• Narrative episode

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly discuss Pralaya; it focuses on a personal dialogue where the speaker probes the cause of sorrow and the intention behind the woman’s behavior.

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

It highlights a dharmic approach to conflict and distress: before judging actions, one should inquire into the person’s inner state and intended purpose—an essential leadership and household ethic in Purāṇic guidance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, iconographic, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is primarily narrative and psychological in tone.