Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

दुःखपारमपश्यन्ती प्राणांस्त्यक्तुं व्यवस्थिता पुत्रं मे तारकं देहि दुःखशोकमहार्णवात् //

Transliteration

duḥkhapāramapaśyantī prāṇāṃstyaktuṃ vyavasthitā putraṃ me tārakaṃ dehi duḥkhaśokamahārṇavāt //

Translation

Seeing no end to her suffering, she resolved to give up her life: “Grant me a son—one who will be my deliverer—and rescue me from this vast ocean of grief and sorrow.”

Word by Word

• duḥkha-pāram: the far shore/end of sorrow

• apaśyantī: not seeing

• prāṇān: life-breaths/life

• tyaktum: to abandon, to give up

• vyavasthitā: determined, resolved

• putram: a son

• me: for me/my

• tārakam: a savior, deliverer (lit. ‘one who ferries across’)

• dehi: give/grant

• duḥkha-śoka: suffering and grief

• mahā-arṇavāt: from the great ocean

Speaker

• A grieving woman (petitioning a divine or powerful protector; exact identification requires broader chapter context)

Tags

• Duhkha
• Putra
• Prayer
• Deliverance
• Bhakti

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic creation or Pralaya; it uses the metaphor of a “great ocean” to describe personal sorrow and the need to be ‘ferried across’ it.

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

It reflects the Purāṇic ideal that household life seeks continuity and protection through progeny; the plea for a ‘tāraka’ son highlights the social and emotional role of family support and righteous protection.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or iconographic rule is stated here; the verse functions as a devotional lament and a petition for relief rather than a technical ritual/architectural instruction.