Matsya Purana — Manvantaras, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

यथोल्मुकात्तु विटपा एककालाद्भवन्ति हि तथा प्रवृत्ताः क्षेत्रज्ञाः कालेनैकेन कारणात् //

Transliteration

yatholmukāttu viṭapā ekakālādbhavanti hi tathā pravṛttāḥ kṣetrajñāḥ kālenaikena kāraṇāt //

Translation

De même que des pousses peuvent surgir d’un tison en un seul instant, de même le kṣetrajña, le « connaisseur du champ » (la conscience), poussé à l’activité, en vient à opérer par le seul Temps, au moyen de cet unique principe causal.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as

• ulmukāt: from a firebrand/ember

• tu: indeed/but

• viṭapāḥ: shoots/sprouts/branches

• ekakālāt: in a single time/at one moment

• bhavanti: arise/come into being

• hi: indeed

• tathā: so/likewise

• pravṛttāḥ: set in motion/engaged in activity

• kṣetrajñāḥ: the knower of the field (conscious self)

• kālena: by Time

• ekena: by the one/single

• kāraṇāt: cause/causal principle

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Kāla (Time)
• Kṣetrajña (Knower of the Field)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Sāṅkhya-Vedānta
• Kāla
• Ātman
• Causality

FAQs

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

It points to Kāla (Time) as the single causal driver that triggers manifestation and activity; the self’s engagement appears when Time impels it—an idea often used to explain cycles of creation and dissolution.

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

It frames action as time-conditioned: a king or householder should act with discernment of timing (kāla), understanding that outcomes depend on proper occasion and the larger order that governs events.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is general—successful rites and constructions are also kāla-dependent, requiring auspicious timing and correct moments for initiation.