Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

त्यागो ह्यप्राप्तकामानां कामेभ्यो न तथा गुरुः यथा प्राप्तं परित्यज्य कामं कमललोचन //

Transliteration

tyāgo hyaprāptakāmānāṃ kāmebhyo na tathā guruḥ yathā prāptaṃ parityajya kāmaṃ kamalalocana //

Translation

O lotus-eyed one, renunciation is not so weighty for those whose desires have not been fulfilled; but to abandon a desire after one has already obtained its object—this is the truly difficult renunciation.

Word by Word

• tyāgaḥ: renunciation

• hi: indeed

• aprāpta-kāmānām: of those whose desires are not attained/fulfilled

• kāmebhyaḥ: from sense-objects/desires

• na tathā: not in that same way/not so much

• guruḥ: heavy, difficult, formidable

• yathā: as/whereas

• prāptam: what has been obtained/attained

• parityajya: having abandoned, giving up

• kāmam: desire (or the desired enjoyment/object)

• kamala-locana: O lotus-eyed one (epithet of a revered divine/person of beauty and purity).

Speaker

• Likely a sage/narrator addressing a revered figure (kamalalocana), within a didactic Rajadharma/Nīti discourse in the Matsya Purana

Entities Mentioned

• Kamalalocana

Tags

• Dharma
• Renunciation
• Niti
• Self-control
• Detachment

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is an ethical maxim about tyāga (renunciation), emphasizing that giving up pleasures after attaining them is the hardest form of detachment.

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

It teaches disciplined restraint: a king or householder may acquire wealth, power, or pleasures, but dharma is proven by the ability to relinquish attachment even after success—preventing greed, tyranny, and indulgence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is mentioned; the takeaway is inner discipline, which in the Purana often underpins the purity and eligibility required for yajña, dāna, and other rites.