Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Syamantaka Jewel Episode and the Vrishni–Sainya Genealogies

Devanagari script

कदाचिन्मृगयां यातः प्रसेनस्तेन भूषितः यथाशब्दं स शुश्राव बिले सत्त्वेन पूरिते //

Transliteration

kadācinmṛgayāṃ yātaḥ prasenastena bhūṣitaḥ yathāśabdaṃ sa śuśrāva bile sattvena pūrite //

Translation

Once, Prasena went out on a hunt, adorned with that splendid gear. Just as the sound arose, he heard it within a cave that was filled with a living creature.

Word by Word

• kadācin: once/at some time

• mṛgayām: on a hunt/hunting expedition

• yātaḥ: went

• prasenaḥ: Prasena (a person/warrior/royal)

• tena: by that/with that

• bhūṣitaḥ: adorned, decorated, equipped

• yathā-śabdam: according to the sound/as the sound was

• saḥ: he

• śuśrāva: heard

• bile: in a cave/hole

• sattvena: with a being/creature (living entity)

• pūrite: filled, occupied

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the episode within the Matsya Purana narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Prasena

Tags

• Dynasties
• Royal hunt
• Akhyana
• Forest-cave episode
• Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a dynastic narrative detail describing a hunting expedition and an ominous cave scene, setting up later events rather than cosmology.

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

It reflects the royal practice of mṛgayā (hunting), often portrayed in Purāṇic stories as a context where vigilance, restraint, and responsibility are tested—since a king’s actions in the forest can trigger wider consequences.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated directly; the only spatial element is a “bila” (cave/hole), used as a narrative setting rather than an architectural prescription.