Shloka 8

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Fall

Devanagari script

*अष्टक उवाच पृच्छामि त्वां प्रपतन्तं प्रपातं यदि लोकाः पार्थिव सन्ति मे ऽत्र यद्यन्तरिक्षे यदि वा दिवि श्रिताः क्षेत्रज्ञं त्वां तस्य धर्मस्य मन्ये //

Transliteration

*aṣṭaka uvāca pṛcchāmi tvāṃ prapatantaṃ prapātaṃ yadi lokāḥ pārthiva santi me 'tra yadyantarikṣe yadi vā divi śritāḥ kṣetrajñaṃ tvāṃ tasya dharmasya manye //

Translation

Aṣṭaka said: “I ask you, as you plunge headlong into this fall—do my worlds exist on the earth, or in the mid-region (the atmosphere), or are they established in heaven? I regard you as the knower of the field (kṣetrajña) and as one who understands the dharma that governs this.”

Word by Word

• अष्टक (Aṣṭaka): Aṣṭaka

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• पृच्छामि (pṛcchāmi): I ask/inquire

• त्वाम् (tvām): you

• प्रपतन्तम् (prapatantam): falling down/descending

• प्रपातम् (prapātam): a plunge/precipice/fall

• यदि (yadi): whether/if

• लोकाः (lokāḥ): worlds/realms

• पार्थिवाः (pārthivāḥ): earthly, belonging to earth

• सन्ति (santi): exist/are

• मे (me): my/for me

• अत्र (atra): here

• यद्यन्तरिक्षे (yadi antarikṣe): whether in the mid-region/atmosphere

• यदि वा (yadi vā): or whether

• दिवि (divi): in heaven

• श्रिताः (śritāḥ): resorted to/established in

• क्षेत्रज्ञम् (kṣetrajñam): knower of the field (the conscious knower)

• त्वाम् (tvām): you

• तस्य (tasya): of that

• धर्मस्य (dharmasya): of dharma/law/duty

• मन्ये (manye): I consider/think.

Speaker

• Aṣṭaka

Entities Mentioned

• Aṣṭaka
• Loka (realms/worlds)
• Kṣetrajña (knower of the field)

Tags

• Lokas
• Dharma
• Afterlife
• Dialogue
• Philosophy

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing pralaya directly; it focuses on the location of “worlds/realms” (earth, atmosphere, heaven) and implies a moral-spiritual order governed by dharma rather than a cosmic dissolution event.

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

By asking where one’s “worlds” are established, the verse points to the karmic consequence of dharma: a king or householder sustains righteous conduct to secure auspicious realms (higher lokas) and avoid a downward fall associated with adharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated here; the verse is primarily metaphysical and ethical, using the language of realms (lokas) and the kṣetrajña (inner knower) rather than ritual or architectural procedure.