Shloka 1
Matsya Purana — The Tale of Brahmadatta: Past-life Memory
*ऋषय ऊचुः कथं सत्त्वरुतज्ञो ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्तो धरातले तच्चाभवत्कस्य कुले चक्रवाकचतुष्टयम् //
*ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathaṃ sattvarutajño 'bhūd brahmadatto dharātale taccābhavatkasya kule cakravākacatuṣṭayam //
The sages said: “How did Brahmadatta arise upon the earth as one who understood the voices and cries of living beings? And in whose lineage did that quartet of cakravāka birds come to be?”
FAQs
This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it opens a narrative inquiry about Brahmadatta’s extraordinary knowledge and the origin of the cakravāka quartet, indicating a shift into lineage-and-story material rather than cosmic dissolution.
By highlighting Brahmadatta as a “knower of creatures’ voices,” the verse frames an ideal of attentive, discerning rulership—suggesting that a king (and by extension a householder) should understand the needs and signals of beings under their care, a core Purāṇic ethic of protection (rakṣaṇa) and compassion.
No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it functions as a narrative preface. For SEO and internal linking, this can be cross-referenced with nearby Matsya Purana sections that explicitly teach temple-building and ritual rules.