Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

प्रजाश्च यौवनं प्राप्ता विनश्यन्ति ह्य् अनो तव अग्निप्रस्कन्दनगतस् त्वं चाप्येवं भविष्यसि //

Transliteration

prajāśca yauvanaṃ prāptā vinaśyanti hy ano tava agnipraskandanagatas tvaṃ cāpyevaṃ bhaviṣyasi //

Translation

Even your subjects, having reached youth, pass away, O Anu; so too will you—once you enter the onward course of the fire (of time and decay), you will likewise come to that end.

Word by Word

• prajāḥ: subjects/people

• ca: and

• yauvanam: youth

• prāptāḥ: having attained

• vinaśyanti: perish, are destroyed

• hi: indeed

• anu: in due course/thereafter

• tava: your

• agni-praskandana-gataḥ: having entered the onward rush/leap of fire (metaphor for consuming time, aging, death)

• tvam: you

• ca api: and also

• evam: thus/in the same way

• bhaviṣyasi: you will become/you will be

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (instructing Vaivasvata Manu on impermanence)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Pralaya
• Impermanence
• Dharma
• Time (Kala)
• Mortality

FAQs

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

It stresses the inevitability of decline under time’s consuming force—an ethical preface to Pralaya themes by reminding Manu that all embodied beings, even in youth, are carried toward dissolution.

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

By highlighting that both subjects and ruler are mortal, it urges governance and household life grounded in dharma, restraint, and non-attachment—acting rightly without pride in youth, power, or longevity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is preparatory—rituals, gifts, and sacred works should be done promptly because time ‘burns onward’ and life is uncertain.