Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

यावदब्दसहस्रेण निराहारस्य यत्फलम् क्षणेनैकेन तल्लभ्यं त्यक्त्वाहारमुपस्थितम् //

Transliteration

yāvadabdasahasreṇa nirāhārasya yatphalam kṣaṇenaikena tallabhyaṃ tyaktvāhāramupasthitam //

Translation

Whatever merit is gained by remaining without food for a thousand years—one obtains that very fruit in a single moment, by renouncing the food that is present and ready at hand.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as much as/whatever

• abda-sahasreṇa: by (the span of) a thousand years

• nirāhārasya: of fasting/abstaining from food

• yat: which

• phalam: fruit, merit, spiritual result

• kṣaṇena: in a moment

• ekena: with one (single)

• tat: that

• labhyam: is obtained

• tyaktvā: having abandoned/renounced

• āhāram: food

• upasthitam: present, offered, available (at hand).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (as instructor of dharma/tapas) to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution typical of Matsya Purana discourse)

Tags

• Tapas
• Vairagya
• Vrata
• Phala-shruti
• Self-control

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it teaches a dharmic principle about tapas: immediate renunciation of an available pleasure can equal the merit of prolonged austerity.

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

It frames self-restraint as a high-value dharma: a king or householder gains great merit by refusing indulgence even when legitimately available, strengthening discipline, ethical governance, and mastery over the senses.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-architecture rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is vrata-ethics—true austerity is measured by renouncing what is immediately accessible, not merely by duration.