Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Yuga Durations

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्यभावस्य ततस् तथौत्सुक्यं विशीर्यते व्रतोपवासास्त्यज्यन्ते द्वापरे युगपर्यये //

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyabhāvasya tatas tathautsukyaṃ viśīryate vratopavāsāstyajyante dvāpare yugaparyaye //

Translation

Then the very disposition of brahminical virtue declines, and with it the zeal for sacred duties withers away; at the close of the Dvāpara Yuga, vows and fasts are abandoned.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मण्य-भावस्य: of brahminical nature/virtue (brahminical conduct)

• ततस्: then/thereafter

• तथा: likewise/also

• उत्सुक्यम्: eagerness, zeal

• विशीर्यते: decays, is shattered, withers

• व्रत-उपवासाः: religious vows and fasting observances

• त्यज्यन्ते: are abandoned, are given up

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (Yuga)

• युग-पर्यये: at the ending/turning of the age

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu on yuga-dharma

Entities Mentioned

• Dvāpara Yuga
• Brahminical conduct (brāhmaṇya)
• Vrata
• Upavāsa

Tags

• Yuga-Dharma
• Dvāpara
• Kali indicators
• Dharma decline
• Ritual observance

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic pralaya; it describes a moral-spiritual decline at the yuga transition, where religious discipline (vrata, upavāsa) and brahminical virtue weaken.

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

It functions as a warning: as public zeal for dharma fades near the end of Dvāpara, rulers and householders must consciously preserve vows, fasting, and ethical discipline rather than following the general decline.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is explicit: traditional vratas and upavāsas are abandoned in the yuga’s downturn, highlighting the Matsya Purana’s concern for maintaining Vedic-Puranic observances even when social practice deteriorates.