Shloka 48

Matsya Purana — The Madana-Dvādaśī Vow and the Birth of the Maruts

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वमनया वृत्त्या गर्भे ऽस्मिन्यत्नमाचर स्वस्त्यस्तु ते गमिष्यामि तथेत्युक्तस्तया पुनः //

Transliteration

tasmāttvamanayā vṛttyā garbhe 'sminyatnamācara svastyastu te gamiṣyāmi tathetyuktastayā punaḥ //

Translation

Therefore, you should strive by this very discipline within this womb-like enclosure. May auspiciousness be yours; I shall depart. Addressed again by her in this manner, he replied, “So be it.”

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore

• tvam: you

• anayā: by this (method/way)

• vṛttyā: by conduct/means/course of action

• garbhe: in the womb

• asmin: in this

• yatnam: effort, diligent striving

• ācara: undertake, practice

• svasti: well-being, auspiciousness

• astu: may it be

• te: for you/to you

• gamiṣyāmi: I shall go/I will depart

• tathā: so, thus

• iti: thus

• uktaḥ: said/replied

• tayā: by her

• punaḥ: again

Speaker

• Unclear (dialogue within the Manu–Matsya flood episode; likely a female/divine figure instructing and then departing, with the addressed person assenting)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaivasvata Manu (contextual)
• Lord Matsya (contextual)
• Pralaya (contextual)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Lord Matsya and King Manu story
• Protection
• Dharma
• Puranic dialogue

FAQs

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

It reflects a survival-and-protection motif within the Pralaya episode: the instructed person is told to persist with disciplined effort inside a protective “womb-like” enclosure, implying preservation through dissolution.

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

The verse emphasizes steady, methodical conduct (vṛtti) and diligent effort (yatna) even under crisis—an ethical ideal applicable to rulers and householders in Purāṇic dharma: maintain right practice and composure when circumstances are unstable.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not a Vāstu rule, the term “garbha” evokes the idea of a protected inner chamber (garbha-gṛha imagery by association); the main takeaway is symbolic containment/preservation rather than explicit temple-architecture instruction.