Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं यद्वृत्तं पूर्वजन्मनि मद्रेश्वरत्वचरितं शृणु तस्य महीपतेः //

Transliteration

etadvaḥ kathitaṃ sarvaṃ yadvṛttaṃ pūrvajanmani madreśvaratvacaritaṃ śṛṇu tasya mahīpateḥ //

Translation

All this has been told to you—what occurred in a former birth. Now, O king, hear the account of how that ruler became the Lord of Madra (Madreśvara).

Word by Word

• etad: this

• vaḥ: to you (plural)

• kathitam: narrated/told

• sarvam: entirely/all

• yat: which/that which

• vṛttam: happened/occurred

• pūrva-janmani: in a previous birth

• madreśvaratva: the state/position of being the Lord of Madra

• caritam: life-story/deeds/episode

• śṛṇu: hear/listen

• tasya: of him/that

• mahīpateḥ: of the king (lord of the earth)

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) continuing the narrative thread

Entities Mentioned

• Madra
• Madreśvara
• Mahīpati (the king)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Rebirth
• Kingship
• Narrative-Frame
• Rajadharma

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya directly; it shifts the discourse to karmic continuity—events from a former birth leading to a king’s later sovereignty.

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

By foregrounding a king’s prior-birth history, the verse frames kingship as ethically conditioned: royal status (such as becoming “Lord of Madra”) is presented as the outcome of earlier conduct, reinforcing Rajadharma’s emphasis on responsibility and merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this line; it functions as a narrative transition into the Madreśvara kingship episode.