Shloka 81

Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A...

Devanagari script

सा कुजम्भस्य हृदयं दारयामास दारुणम् वित्तेहा स्वल्पसत्त्वस्य पुरुषस्येव भाविता //

Transliteration

sā kujambhasya hṛdayaṃ dārayāmāsa dāruṇam vittehā svalpasattvasya puruṣasyeva bhāvitā //

Translation

Driven as though by craving for wealth, it cruelly tore open Kujambha’s heart—just as greed for riches, once it takes hold, rends the heart of a man of little inner strength.

Word by Word

• सा (sā): she

• कुजम्भस्य (kujambhasya): of Kujambha

• हृदयम् (hṛdayam): heart

• दारयामास (dārayāmāsa): tore open, split

• दारुणम् (dāruṇam): cruelly, fiercely

• वित्तेहा (vittehā): desire for wealth, greed

• स्वल्पसत्त्वस्य (svalpasattvasya): of one with little courage/fortitude

• पुरुषस्य (puruṣasya): of a man/person

• इव (iva): like

• भाविता (bhāvitā): impelled, dominated, possessed (by a feeling).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting a didactic episode within the Matsya Purana’s ethics/rajadharma stream

Entities Mentioned

• Kujambha

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Niti
• Greed
• Ethics
• Didactic-Story

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is an ethical simile showing how greed (vittehā) destroys inner stability, “rending the heart” of the weak-willed.

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

It warns that unchecked desire for wealth corrupts judgment and can drive one to cruelty; a king or householder should cultivate self-restraint, protect life, and treat wealth as a tool for dharma rather than an obsession.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or ritual procedure is stated here; the verse functions as a moral instruction, using “heart-rending” as a metaphor for the destructive force of greed.