Shloka 10

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Rule

Devanagari script

न जातु कामः कामानाम् उपभोगेन शाम्यति हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव भूय एवाभिवर्धते //

Transliteration

na jātu kāmaḥ kāmānām upabhogena śāmyati haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmeva bhūya evābhivardhate //

Translation

Desire is never truly quenched by enjoying objects of desire; like a fire fed with oblations, it only blazes up all the more.

Word by Word

• na: not

• jātu: ever/at any time

• kāmaḥ: desire/craving

• kāmānām: of desired objects/pleasures

• upabhogena: by enjoyment/consumption

• śāmyati: becomes calm/is extinguished

• haviṣā: with an oblation (ghee/offerings)

• kṛṣṇavartmā iva: like the dark-pathed one (fire/smoke-trailing flame)

• bhūyaḥ eva: again, indeed

• abhivardhate: increases/grows stronger

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (instructing Vaivasvata Manu in nīti/dharma)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu
• Agni (fire, implied)

Tags

• Dharma
• Nīti
• Vairāgya
• Self-control
• Householder ethics

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses the sacrificial-fire metaphor to teach that craving expands when repeatedly “fed,” emphasizing inner discipline rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It warns rulers and householders that indulgence does not end craving; effective governance and righteous domestic life require restraint (dama) and regulated enjoyment, otherwise desire multiplies and leads to ethical and political decline.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it references havi (oblations) offered into Agni: just as offerings intensify fire, repeated indulgence intensifies desire—an ethical lesson drawn from yajña imagery rather than a Vastu or temple-construction rule.