Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — The Karmic Cause of Purūravas’ Beauty and Fortune

Devanagari script

स तु मद्रपती राजा यस्तु नाम्ना पुरूरवाः तस्मिञ्जन्मन्यसौ विप्रो द्वादश्यां तु सदानघ //

Transliteration

sa tu madrapatī rājā yastu nāmnā purūravāḥ tasmiñjanmanyasau vipro dvādaśyāṃ tu sadānagha //

Translation

That king—lord of Madra—was renowned by the name Purūravas. In that very birth, that brāhmaṇa was ever sinless, O faultless one, and was associated with Dvādaśī, the twelfth lunar day.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he

• tu: indeed

• madrapatī: lord of Madra (ruler of the Madra country)

• rājā: king

• yaḥ: who

• tu: indeed

• nāmnā: by name

• purūravāḥ: Purūravas

• tasmin: in that

• janmani: birth

• asau: that (person)

• vipraḥ: Brahmin/sage

• dvādaśyām: on the twelfth (tithi, Dvādaśī)

• tu: indeed

• sadā: always

• anagha: sinless/faultless (vocative: O faultless one)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting dynastic tradition (likely within a dialogue framework transmitted to the sages)

Entities Mentioned

• Purūravas
• Madra (Kingdom)
• Vipra (Brahmin/Sage)
• Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Puranic Kings
• Tithi
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is genealogical rather than cosmological; it does not discuss Pralaya, but preserves dynastic memory by naming a king (Purūravas) and his regional sovereignty (Madra).

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

By identifying Purūravas as a regional ruler, the verse situates him in the dharmic ideal of kingship—protecting a realm and sustaining social order—while also linking the narrative to ritual time (Dvādaśī), a common marker for vows and observances.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit ritual marker is Dvādaśī (the 12th lunar day), widely connected with Vaiṣṇava observances and vrata timing; no Vāstu/temple-building rule is stated in this specific verse.