Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Yayāti and His Sons: The Exchange of Youth and Old Age

Devanagari script

*अनुर् उवाच जीर्णः शिशुरिवादत्ते काले ऽन्नमशुचिर्यथा न जुहोति च काले ऽग्निं तां जरां नाभिकामये //

Transliteration

*anur uvāca jīrṇaḥ śiśurivādatte kāle 'nnamaśuciryathā na juhoti ca kāle 'gniṃ tāṃ jarāṃ nābhikāmaye //

Translation

Anu said: “Like an aged man who, like a child, takes food at improper times and, being impure, does not offer oblations into the fire at the proper time—such a senility (and decline) I do not desire.”

Word by Word

• अनुः (anuḥ): Anu (speaker/name)

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• जीर्णः (jīrṇaḥ): worn out, aged

• शिशुरिव (śiśur iva): like a child

• आदत्ते (ādatte): takes up, consumes

• काले (kāle): at the proper time / in due time

• अन्नम् (annam): food

• अशुचिः (aśuciḥ): impure, unclean

• यथा (yathā): as, just as

• न (na): not

• जुहोति (juhoti): offers (into fire), performs homa

• च (ca): and

• काले (kāle): at the proper time

• अग्निम् (agnim): the sacred fire

• ताम् (tām): that

• जराम् (jarām): old age, senility/decline

• नाभिकामये (nābhikāmaye): I do not wish/desire.

Speaker

• Anu

Entities Mentioned

• Agni (sacred fire)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Niti
• Achar
• Homa
• Shaucha

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic pralaya; it uses “jarā” (decline/old age) as a moral image of deterioration caused by neglect of purity and timely ritual discipline.

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

It reinforces nīti for disciplined living: timely, regulated eating and maintaining ritual obligations (like homa). For a householder—and by extension a ruler—self-governance and purity are presented as foundations of dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights proper-time offerings into Agni (homa) and the requirement of śauca (cleanliness). There is no Vāstu/temple-architecture instruction in this specific verse.