Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Legend of Acchodā: Pitṛloka

Devanagari script

तेनैव तत्कर्मफलं भुज्यते वरवर्णिनी सद्यः फलन्ति कर्माणि देवत्वे प्रेत्य मानुषे //

Transliteration

tenaiva tatkarmaphalaṃ bhujyate varavarṇinī sadyaḥ phalanti karmāṇi devatve pretya mānuṣe //

Translation

By that very agent the fruit of that deed is experienced, O fair-complexioned lady. Actions bear results—some at once, and others after death, whether in a divine state or in a human birth.

Word by Word

tenaivaby that very person/agent

tat-karmaphalamthe fruit/result of that action

bhujyateis enjoyed/experienced (undergone)

varavarṇinīO woman of excellent/fair complexion (vocative)

sadyaḥimmediately/at once

phalantibear fruit, yield results

karmāṇiactions/deeds

devatvein godhood/as a deva-state

pretyaafter death/having departed

mānuṣein a human (birth/state).

Speaker

Uncertain (didactic narrator addressing a female interlocutor, likely within a dialogue frame of the Matsya Purana)

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches the moral law that karma inevitably ripens, either immediately or after death in subsequent states of existence.

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

It reinforces accountability: a king or householder must act according to dharma because the same doer must experience the consequences—some in this life (social, political, bodily outcomes) and others after death (future birth or higher/lower state).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-building rule is stated here; the verse provides a general karmic framework that can be applied to ritual conduct—proper rites yield merit, improper acts yield harm—across lives.