Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

पतितो ऽभिशस्तः क्लीबः पिशुनव्यङ्गरोगिणः कुनखी श्यावदन्तश्च कुण्डगोलाश्वपालकाः //

Transliteration

patito 'bhiśastaḥ klībaḥ piśunavyaṅgarogiṇaḥ kunakhī śyāvadantaśca kuṇḍagolāśvapālakāḥ //

Translation

« Le déchu de la juste conduite (patita), celui qui est publiquement accusé ou condamné (abhiśasta), l’impuissant (klība), le calomniateur (piśuna), ceux qui souffrent de difformité ou de maladie (vyaṅga-rogin), celui dont les ongles sont malades (kunakhī), celui aux dents noircies (śyāvadanta), ainsi que les gens tels que kuṇḍa, gola et les gardiens de chevaux : tous sont comptés parmi les catégories blâmées. »

Word by Word

• पतितः (patitaḥ): fallen from dharma/one who has lapsed

• अभिशस्तः (abhiśastaḥ): accused, denounced, publicly condemned

• क्लीबः (klībaḥ): impotent/eunuch (socially disqualified in some rites)

• पिशुनः (piśunaḥ): slanderer, informer, malicious tale-bearer

• व्यङ्ग-रोगिणः (vyaṅga-rogiṇaḥ): those with deformity and/or disease

• कुनखी (kunakhī): one with diseased/defective nails

• श्याव-दन्तः (śyāva-dantaḥ): one with dark/blackened teeth

• च (ca): and

• कुण्डः (kuṇḍaḥ): a socially stigmatized category (often treated as a disqualified/irregular birth-status in dharma lists)

• गोलः (golaḥ): a socially stigmatized category (often treated as disqualified/irregular birth-status in dharma lists)

• अश्व-पालकाः (aśva-pālakāḥ): horse-keepers/grooms

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within a dharma-oriented discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Social conduct
• Ritual eligibility
• Impurity rules
• Matsya Purana ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it is a dharma-style list identifying persons considered censured or disqualified in certain social/ritual contexts.

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

It functions as a normative guideline: a king or householder is expected to uphold community standards of conduct and, in ritual matters, recognize traditional disqualifications (e.g., those condemned for serious misconduct or disruptive behavior like slander).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The relevance is primarily ritual: such lists are used to define eligibility and purity boundaries for participation in rites or receiving certain religious roles, rather than giving Vastu or temple-building rules.