Shloka 180

Matsya Purana — Yadu Lineage

Devanagari script

यदा गता न पश्यन्ति मायया संवृतं गुरुम् लक्षणं तस्य तद्बुद्ध्वा प्रतिजग्मुर्यथागतम् //

Transliteration

yadā gatā na paśyanti māyayā saṃvṛtaṃ gurum lakṣaṇaṃ tasya tadbuddhvā pratijagmuryathāgatam //

Translation

But when they arrived, they did not see the Guru, for he was concealed by Māyā. Recognizing the sign of that concealment, they understood it and returned the way they had come.

Word by Word

• यदा (yadā): when

• गता (gatāḥ): having gone/arrived

• न (na): not

• पश्यन्ति (paśyanti): they see

• मायया (māyayā): by Māyā, the power of concealment/illusion

• संवृतं (saṃvṛtam): covered, veiled, hidden

• गुरुम् (gurum): the teacher/guru

• लक्षणं (lakṣaṇam): sign, distinguishing mark, indication

• तस्य (tasya): of that/of him

• तद्बुद्ध्वा (tad-buddhvā): having understood/realized that

• प्रतिजग्मुः (pratijagmuḥ): they went back/returned

• यथागतम् (yathāgatam): as they came, by the same route.

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (narrator) reporting the episode within the Manu–Matsya context (speaker not explicit in this single verse).

Entities Mentioned

• Guru
• Māyā

Tags

• Māyā
• Guru
• Pralaya
• Matsya Purana narrative
• Dharma

FAQs

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

It highlights Māyā—the divine power that can conceal even a revered guide—suggesting that in Pralaya-era narratives, perception is not reliable unless guided by discernment (lakṣaṇa) and understanding.

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

It implies a practical dharma lesson: when authority or guidance is not accessible, one should read the situation’s signs, avoid rash action, and withdraw appropriately—an ethic relevant to rulers and householders alike.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/ritual rule is stated; the key technical term is lakṣaṇa (“sign/mark”), which elsewhere in Purāṇic and śilpa contexts also denotes diagnostic features—here applied to spiritual discernment rather than iconography.