Matsya Purana — Manvantaras, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

महात्मनः शरीरस्य चैतन्यात्सिद्धिरुच्यते पुरि शेते यतः पूर्वं क्षेत्रज्ञानं तथापि च //

Transliteration

mahātmanaḥ śarīrasya caitanyātsiddhirucyate puri śete yataḥ pūrvaṃ kṣetrajñānaṃ tathāpi ca //

Translation

La realización (siddhi) del gran ser encarnado se dice que surge de la conciencia del cuerpo; pues el Conocedor del Campo (kṣetrajña) mora en la “ciudad”, el cuerpo, desde el principio, y así permanece.

Word by Word

• mahātmanaḥ: of the great-souled one / of the higher Self

• śarīrasya: of the body

• caitanyāt: from consciousness / sentience

• siddhiḥ: attainment, perfection, true fulfillment

• ucyate: is said, is declared

• puri: in the city (metaphor for the body)

• śete: lies, dwells, abides

• yataḥ: because, since

• pūrvam: formerly, from the beginning

• kṣetrajñam: the Knower of the Field (the indwelling conscious principle)

• tathā api ca: and so indeed, even thus / and likewise.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu in an instructive discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Kṣetrajña (Knower of the Field)
• Śarīra (body)
• Puri (body as city)

Tags

• Kshetrajna
• Atman
• Body-as-city
• Dharma
• Purana philosophy

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it emphasizes what persists through change: the kṣetrajña (indwelling knower) remains within the ‘city’ of the body from the beginning, implying continuity of consciousness even as bodily states arise and pass.

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

It frames ethical life as rooted in inner awareness: a king or householder should govern senses and actions remembering the indwelling knower, treating the body as a managed ‘city’ and aiming at siddhi through disciplined consciousness.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Using the ‘puri’ (city) metaphor, the verse aligns with Vastu-style thinking: just as a city/house is organized around its presiding principle, the body is organized around the kṣetrajña—supporting ritual and Vastu readings that link outer structure with inner indweller.