Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

तस्मान्न निश्चयाद्वक्तुं धर्मः शक्यो हि केनचित् देवानृषीनुपादाय स्वायम्भुवमृते मनुम् //

Transliteration

tasmānna niścayādvaktuṃ dharmaḥ śakyo hi kenacit devānṛṣīnupādāya svāyambhuvamṛte manum //

Translation

Therefore, no one can definitively declare what dharma is—unless one takes as authority the gods and the sages, and above all Manu Svāyambhuva.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore

• na: not

• niścayāt: with certainty/decisively

• vaktum: to state/to declare

• dharmaḥ: dharma (law, duty, righteous order)

• śakyaḥ: possible

• hi: indeed

• kenacit: by anyone

• devān: the gods

• ṛṣīn: the sages

• upādāya: taking recourse to/accepting as authority

• svāyambhuvam: Svāyambhuva (primeval) [Manu]

• ṛte: except/without

• manum: Manu

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Manu, presenting the epistemic authority for dharma)

Entities Mentioned

• Devas
• Rishis
• Svayambhuva Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Authority
• Manu
• Smriti
• Ethics

FAQs

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

It does not describe pralaya directly; it sets a doctrinal principle: dharma cannot be fixed by personal opinion, but must be grounded in divine and rishi tradition—an anchor that remains valid across cosmic cycles.

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

It instructs that royal policy (rājadharma) and household conduct (gṛhastha-dharma) should be determined through recognized authorities—Devas, Ṛṣis, and Manu—rather than individual certainty or improvisation.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No specific vastu or temple rule is stated; however, it implies that ritual and building prescriptions (vidhi) must follow established authoritative lineages (ṛṣi and Manu traditions), not personal conjecture—useful for interpreting Matsya Purana vastu-vidyā passages.