Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

अहमेवाद्य हसिता न जीविष्ये त्वयाधुना कथं पिपीलिकालापं मर्त्यो वेत्ति विना सुरान् //

Transliteration

ahamevādya hasitā na jīviṣye tvayādhunā kathaṃ pipīlikālāpaṃ martyo vetti vinā surān //

Translation

“I alone have been laughed at today; now I will not live because of you. How could a mortal understand even the speech of ants, without the gods?”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I

• एव: indeed/alone

• अद्य: today

• हसिता: laughed at/mocked

• न: not

• जीविष्ये: I shall live (future)

• त्वया: by you

• अधुना: now

• कथम्: how

• पिपीलिका: ant

• आलापम्: speech/utterance

• मर्त्यः: a mortal

• वेत्ति: knows/understands

• विना: without

• सुरान्: the gods/divine beings

Speaker

• Uncertain (likely a human speaker in the narrative addressing another person; exact attribution varies by recension and surrounding verses).

Entities Mentioned

• Suras (gods)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya-Manu
• Humility
• Limits of knowledge
• Divine aid

FAQs

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

It underscores that during extraordinary cosmic events like Pralaya, human understanding is inadequate without divine guidance—hinting at the dependence on the gods (and, in the broader episode, on Lord Matsya’s instruction).

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

It teaches humility and restraint in judgment: a ruler or householder should recognize the limits of personal knowledge and seek counsel from dharmic authorities (sages, scripture, and the divine) before acting.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or temple-building rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is the broader principle that correct practice depends on revealed or divinely guided knowledge, not mere human inference.