Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Rule

Devanagari script

मम ज्येष्ठेन यदुना नियोगो नानुपालितः प्रतिकूलः पितुर्यश्च न स पुत्रः सतां मतः //

Transliteration

mama jyeṣṭhena yadunā niyogo nānupālitaḥ pratikūlaḥ pituryaśca na sa putraḥ satāṃ mataḥ //

Translation

My command was not obeyed by my eldest son Yadu; and whoever acts contrary to his father is not regarded by the virtuous as a true son.

Word by Word

• mama: of me, my

• jyeṣṭhena: by the eldest (son)

• yadunā: by Yadu

• niyogaḥ: command, injunction, order

• na: not

• anupālitaḥ: followed, observed, complied with

• pratikūlaḥ: adverse, contrary, hostile

• pituḥ: of the father

• yaḥ: who

• ca: and

• na: not

• saḥ: he

• putraḥ: son

• satām: of the good/virtuous

• mataḥ: considered, held to be

Speaker

• King Yayati (traditional attribution in the Yadu–Yayati narrative as preserved in Purāṇic genealogies, including the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Yadu
• Father (Pitr)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Dharma
• Filial obedience
• Royal ethics
• Genealogy

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on ethical conduct within a royal lineage—specifically obedience to a father’s injunction.

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

It frames filial obedience as a core dharmic standard: a son who defies a father’s rightful command is censured by the virtuous—reinforcing household discipline and, by extension, stability in dynastic governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned; the verse is a moral judgment within a dynastic narrative.