Shloka 44

Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth

Devanagari script

हन्ताकृतोपकरणैर् मित्राणि गुरुलाघवैः शरणागतसंत्यागी त्यक्तसत्यपरिश्रयः //

Transliteration

hantākṛtopakaraṇair mitrāṇi gurulāghavaiḥ śaraṇāgatasaṃtyāgī tyaktasatyapariśrayaḥ //

Translation

He harms friends by contrived devices, treating what is weighty as trivial; he abandons those who have sought refuge and has cast off all reliance on truth.

Word by Word

• hantā: a slayer/one who harms

• akṛta-upakaraṇaiḥ: with fabricated means/devices, by contrivances

• mitrāṇi: friends/allies

• guru-lāghavaiḥ: by making the weighty (guru) into the light/trivial (lāghava), by reversing due gravity

• śaraṇa-āgata-saṃtyāgī: one who abandons those who have come for refuge

• tyakta-satya-pariśrayaḥ: one who has forsaken dependence on truth, who has abandoned truth as his support

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu on conduct and governance)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu
• mitra (ally/friend)
• śaraṇāgata (refuge-seeker)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Dharma
• Alliances
• Truthfulness
• Refuge

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to ethical instruction (rājadharma), warning against treachery, abandonment of refugees, and rejection of truth.

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

It defines traits a king should avoid in himself and reject in advisors/allies: harming friends through schemes, trivializing serious duties, and violating the dharma of protecting those who seek refuge—while grounding policy in truth.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vastu/ritual rule is stated here; the practical takeaway is moral governance—do not betray allies, and uphold śaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇa (protection of refugees) as a core dharmic duty.