Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्ताभ्यां स पपात शुचा ततः जातिस्मरत्वमगमत् तौ च मन्त्रिवराव् उभौ //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca ityākarṇya vacastābhyāṃ sa papāta śucā tataḥ jātismaratvamagamat tau ca mantrivarāv ubhau //

Translation

Sūta said: Hearing those words from the two of them, he collapsed in grief. Thereafter he attained jātismaratva (remembrance of former births)—and so did both of those excellent ministers.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)

• uvāca: said

• iti: thus

• ākarṇya: having heard

• vacaḥ: words

• tābhyām: from those two

• saḥ: he

• papāta: fell/collapsed

• śucā: with sorrow/grief

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• jātismaratvam: remembrance of former births (past-life memory)

• agamat: attained/reached

• tau: those two

• ca: and

• mantrivarau: the two ministers (excellent counselors)

• ubhau: both

Speaker

• Sūta

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• two ministers (mantrivara)

Tags

• Jatismara
• Royal counsel
• Narrative
• Ethics
• Memory of past lives

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights a Puranic motif where intense emotion becomes a trigger for higher awareness—here, the arising of jātismaratva (memory of previous births).

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

By emphasizing the role of ministers (mantrivara) and the transformative impact of truthful speech, the verse supports the Matsya Purana’s broader ethic: rulers and households should value wise counsel, self-control in grief, and reflective insight that leads to dharmic conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its significance is psychological and ethical—jātismaratva as a narrative device for moral recognition and course-correction.