Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — The Tale of Brahmadatta: Past-life Memory

Devanagari script

पश्यतां सर्वदेवानां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ततः स तस्य पुत्रो ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्तः प्रतापवान् //

Transliteration

paśyatāṃ sarvadevānāṃ tatraivāntaradhīyata tataḥ sa tasya putro 'bhūd brahmadattaḥ pratāpavān //

Translation

Before the very eyes of all the gods, he vanished right there. Thereafter, his son was born—Brahmadatta, a man of great splendor and prowess.

Word by Word

• पश्यताम् (paśyatām): while watching, in the presence of

• सर्वदेवानाम् (sarvadevānām): of all the gods

• तत्रैव (tatraiva): right there, on that very spot

• अन्तरधीयत (antaradhīyata): disappeared, became invisible/vanished

• ततः (tataḥ): then, thereafter

• सः (saḥ): he/that (person)

• तस्य (tasya): his

• पुत्रः (putraḥ): son

• अभूत् (abhūt): became/was born/appeared

• ब्रह्मदत्तः (brahmadattaḥ): Brahmadatta (proper name

• प्रतापवान् (pratāpavān): mighty, radiant, valorous

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the dynastic narrative within the Matsya Purana

Entities Mentioned

• Sarvadevas (all the gods)
• Brahmadatta

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Vamsha
• Royal succession
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights a miraculous disappearance witnessed by the gods, a common Puranic motif used to mark a transition in a lineage or event sequence.

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

Indirectly, it frames royal continuity: the narrative moves from an extraordinary event (disappearance) to legitimate succession through a son (Brahmadatta), reinforcing the Purāṇic emphasis on stable lineage and righteous kingship across generations.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu Shastra, temple-building, iconography, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is primarily genealogical and narrative in focus.