Shloka 176
Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth
*नारद उवाच हर्षस्थाने ऽपि महति त्वया दुःखं निरूप्यते अपरिच्छिन्नवाक्यार्थे मोहं यासि महागिरे //
*nārada uvāca harṣasthāne 'pi mahati tvayā duḥkhaṃ nirūpyate aparicchinnavākyārthe mohaṃ yāsi mahāgire //
Nārada said: Even on a great occasion for rejoicing, you construe it as sorrow. Because the intended meaning of the words is not clearly ascertained, you fall into delusion, O great mountain.
FAQs
It does not describe Pralaya directly; it teaches a psychological principle: misreading circumstances and unclear understanding of meaning (vākya-artha) leads to moha, which is a common cause of fear and grief in times of crisis.
It supports dharmic decision-making: a king or householder must judge situations by clear reasoning and accurate counsel; otherwise, even auspicious events may be treated as calamities, leading to harmful choices driven by delusion.
No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; indirectly, it emphasizes correct interpretation of injunctions—misunderstanding the intended meaning of prescriptions can lead to improper ritual performance or faulty application of śāstric instructions.