Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Yuga Durations

Devanagari script

नैवातिसात्त्विकः कश्चिन् न साधुर्न च सत्यवाक् नास्तिका ब्रह्मभक्ता वा जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः //

Transliteration

naivātisāttvikaḥ kaścin na sādhurna ca satyavāk nāstikā brahmabhaktā vā jāyante tatra mānavāḥ //

Translation

There, no one is truly sāttvika; none is virtuous or even truthful in speech. In that place (or time), people are born either as unbelievers (nāstikas) or as devotees of Brahman (the Supreme).

Word by Word

• na eva: not at all

• ati-sāttvikaḥ: exceedingly sāttvika/pure in nature

• kaścit: anyone

• na: not

• sādhuḥ: a virtuous person

• na ca: nor

• satya-vāk: truthful-speaking

• nāstikāḥ: deniers/unbelievers

• brahma-bhaktāḥ: devotees of Brahman/the Supreme

• vā: or

• jāyante: are born/arise

• tatra: there/in that condition

• mānavāḥ: human beings

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in dialogue instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, describing human nature in a degenerate age)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahman
• Manu (implied dialogue context)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Kali-yuga traits
• Ethics
• Satya (truthfulness)
• Bhakti

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it describes ethical and spiritual decline in human society, emphasizing the rarity of sāttvika virtue and truthfulness.

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

It functions as a warning: rulers and householders must actively uphold satya (truth), sādhu conduct, and sāttvika discipline, because society tends toward moral erosion; governance and personal vows should counteract this decline.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu/temple-rule detail is stated in this verse; its practical takeaway is ritual-ethical—cultivating purity (sattva), truthfulness, and devotion as the foundation for any dharmic practice.