Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Fall

Devanagari script

यद्वै नृशंसं तदपत् ह्यमाहुर् यः सेवते धर्ममनर्थबुद्धिः असावनीशः स तथैव राजंस् तदार्जवं स समाधिस्तदार्यम् //

Transliteration

yadvai nṛśaṃsaṃ tadapat hyamāhur yaḥ sevate dharmamanarthabuddhiḥ asāvanīśaḥ sa tathaiva rājaṃs tadārjavaṃ sa samādhistadāryam //

Translation

Indeed, they declare that what is cruel is itself a “fall” (downfall). He who practices dharma with a mind fixed on selfish gain is not master of himself; and so too, O King. True dharma is straightforwardness; that is inner collectedness (samādhi); that is the conduct of the noble (ārya).

Word by Word

• yad: whatever/that which

• vai: indeed

• nṛśaṁsam: cruel, pitiless

• tat: that

• apat: a fall, downfall, ruin

• hi: surely/indeed

• amāhuḥ: they have said/declare

• yaḥ: who

• sevate: practices, follows, serves

• dharmam: dharma, righteousness

• anartha-buddhiḥ: with a misguided aim toward profit/with a mind set on improper gain

• asau: that person/he

• anīśaḥ: not self-ruled, not master (of himself)

• sa: he

• tathā eva: just so/likewise

• rājan: O King

• tat: that

• ārjavam: straightforwardness, honesty, rectitude

• sa: that is

• samādhiḥ: concentration, inner composure, collectedness

• tat: that

• āryam: noble conduct, the way of the Āryas.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, addressed as ‘O King’)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Dharma
• Ethics
• Self-mastery
• Ārjava

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya directly; it teaches ethical causality—cruelty and self-serving ‘dharma’ lead to personal and political downfall, a moral “collapse” rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It warns a ruler (and any dharma-follower) that righteousness pursued for gain is not true dharma; the king’s duty is self-mastery, honest straightforward conduct (ārjava), and steadiness of mind (samādhi) as the basis of just governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the takeaway is foundational: purity of intention and inner discipline are prerequisites for any dharmic act, including ritual performance and patronage of temples.