Shloka 10

Matsya Purana — The Legend of Acchodā: Pitṛloka

Devanagari script

विलप्यमाना पितृभिर् इदमुक्ता तपस्विनी भविष्यमर्थमालोक्य देवकार्यं च ते तदा //

Transliteration

vilapyamānā pitṛbhir idamuktā tapasvinī bhaviṣyamarthamālokya devakāryaṃ ca te tadā //

Translation

As the Pitṛs (ancestral Fathers) lamented, they spoke these words to the ascetic woman. Then, foreseeing what was to come and the divine task to be fulfilled at that time, she resolved accordingly.

Word by Word

• vilapyamānā: lamenting/crying aloud

• pitṛbhiḥ: by the Pitṛs/ancestral fathers

• idam: this

• uktā: was spoken/was addressed

• tapasvinī: the ascetic woman (female ascetic)

• bhaviṣyam: the future/what is to come

• artham: matter/purpose/meaning

• ālokya: having looked at/foreseen

• devakāryam: divine task/work of the gods

• ca: and

• te: those/that (referring to the matter at hand)

• tadā: then/at that time

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the Pitṛs addressing the tapasvinī)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitṛs
• Deva (as devakārya—divine work)

Tags

• Pitrs
• Prophecy
• DivineMission
• PuranaNarrative
• Tapas

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it frames a prophetic turning point: the tapasvinī “foresees the future” and a “divine task,” a common Purāṇic signal that events of cosmic importance (often tied to preservation amid crisis) are about to unfold.

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

It emphasizes acting with foresight and alignment to dharma: one should recognize impending consequences (bhaviṣya) and prioritize higher obligations (devakārya), a principle echoed in the Matsya Purana’s ethical guidance for rulers and householders.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu/temple-building rule appears in this verse; the ritual-religious takeaway is the prominence of Pitṛs and the idea that certain actions are undertaken as a ‘divine mandate’ (devakārya).