Shloka 26

Matsya Purana — The Origin of Yajña in Tretā Yuga and the Debate on Animal Sacrifice vs. Non-...

Devanagari script

वसुधातलचारी तु तेन वाक्येन सो ऽभवत् धर्माणां संशयछेत्ता राजा वसुरधोगतः //

Transliteration

vasudhātalacārī tu tena vākyena so 'bhavat dharmāṇāṃ saṃśayachettā rājā vasuradhogataḥ //

Translation

By that statement, he became one who moved upon the surface of the earth; King Vasu became a remover of doubts concerning dharma—yet Vasu went downward to the lower realms.

Word by Word

• vasudhā-tala-cārī: moving on the earth’s surface

• tu: indeed/but

• tena vākyena: by that utterance/statement

• saḥ: he

• abhavat: became

• dharmāṇām: of dharmas/of matters of righteousness

• saṃśaya-chettā: cutter of doubts, resolver of uncertainty

• rājā: king

• vasuḥ: Vasu (proper name)

• adho-gataḥ: gone downwards, descended (to lower region/hell)

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the result of the Vasu episode (within the Matsya Purana’s instruction on dharma and kingship).

Entities Mentioned

• King Vasu

Tags

• Dharma
• Rajadharma
• Karma
• Kingship
• Itihasa

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it teaches karmic consequence and dharmic judgment—how a single utterance can elevate one’s role (as a resolver of dharma) yet still lead to a fall due to the moral weight of that speech.

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

It frames an ideal king as a saṃśayachettā—one who clarifies dharma for society—while warning that authority and learning do not cancel the consequences of wrongful or misleading speech; royal duty requires truthfulness and careful judgment.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-ritual rule is stated here; the significance is ethical: the Purāṇa highlights the power of vāk (speech) in dharma, a principle that also underlies ritual correctness (right recitation and right intention) even when architecture is not discussed.