Shloka 3

Matsya Purana — Yayāti and the Kings’ Dialogue on Heavenly Worlds

Devanagari script

*वसुमानुवाच तांस् ते ददामि पत मां प्रपातं ये मे लोकास्तव ते वै भवन्तु क्रीणीष्वैनांस् तृणकेनापि राजन् प्रतिग्रहस्ते यदि सम्यक्प्रदुष्टः //

Transliteration

*vasumānuvāca tāṃs te dadāmi pata māṃ prapātaṃ ye me lokāstava te vai bhavantu krīṇīṣvaināṃs tṛṇakenāpi rājan pratigrahaste yadi samyakpraduṣṭaḥ //

Translation

Vasumān said: “I give them all to you—may I fall headlong into a precipice! May the worlds (merits) that are mine truly become yours. O king, buy these gifts even with a mere blade of grass, if your acceptance of gifts (pratigraha) has indeed become thoroughly tainted.”

Word by Word

• वसुमान् (vasumān): Vasumān (a donor/wealthy person)

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• तान् (tān): those (things/gifts)

• ते (te): to you

• ददामि (dadāmi): I give

• पत (pata): fall! (imperative)

• माम् (mām): me

• प्रपातम् (prapātam): into a precipice/abyss

• ये (ye): which

• मे (me): my

• लोकाः (lokāḥ): worlds, merits, spiritual attainments

• तव (tava): yours

• ते वै (te vai): indeed those

• भवन्तु (bhavantu): may they become

• क्रीणीष्व (krīṇīṣva): buy (imperative)

• एनान् (enān): these (very ones)

• तृणकेनापि (tṛṇakenāpi): even with a blade of grass (as a token price)

• राजन् (rājan): O king

• प्रतिग्रहः (pratigrahaḥ): acceptance of gifts

• ते (te): your

• यदि (yadi): if

• सम्यक् (samyak): properly, completely

• प्रदुष्टः (praduṣṭaḥ): corrupted/tainted.

Speaker

• Vasumān

Entities Mentioned

• Vasumān
• King (Rājan)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Dāna
• Pratigraha
• Ethics
• Merit-transfer

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on moral causality—how merit and spiritual consequence can be affected by the act of giving and especially by impure acceptance of gifts (pratigraha).

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

It warns a king to be vigilant about accepting gifts: if acceptance is “corrupted” (e.g., bribe-like, unethical, or from improper sources), it should be treated as a transaction with at least a token price—symbolically refusing dependency and reducing the moral stain of gratuitous acceptance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-architecture rule is stated here; the ritual-ethical point is about dāna and pratigraha—purity in gift-giving/receiving and the spiritual consequences tied to merit (loka).