Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

रूपकामः स मद्रेशस् तपसे कृतनिश्चयः राज्यं मन्त्रिगतं कृत्वा जगाम हिमपर्वतम् //

Transliteration

rūpakāmaḥ sa madreśas tapase kṛtaniścayaḥ rājyaṃ mantrigataṃ kṛtvā jagāma himaparvatam //

Translation

That ruler of Madra, longing for beauty, resolved to undertake austerities (tapas); entrusting the kingdom to his ministers, he departed for the Himālaya mountains.

Word by Word

• रूपकामः (rūpakāmaḥ): desiring beauty/fair form

• स (sa): he

• मद्रेशः (madreśaḥ): the lord/king of Madra

• तपसे (tapase): for austerity, for penance

• कृतनिश्चयः (kṛtaniścayaḥ): having made a firm resolve

• राज्यं (rājyaṃ): the kingdom

• मन्त्रिगतं (mantrigataṃ): placed in the hands/care of ministers, minister-administered

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done/made

• जगाम (jagāma): went, departed

• हिमपर्वतम् (himaparvatam): to the Himālaya mountain.

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the lineage episode

Entities Mentioned

• Madra (Madreśa)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Renunciation
• Tapas
• Kingship
• Himalaya

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it focuses on a royal episode where a king chooses tapas, illustrating personal transformation rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It highlights responsible renunciation: even when pursuing ascetic goals, the king secures continuity of governance by placing the kingdom under ministerial administration—an ideal of orderly rule and duty before withdrawal.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is specified; the key takeaway is the ascetic setting of the Himālaya, a traditional locus for tapas in Purāṇic practice.