Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 126

Devanagari script

गुरुत्वं ते गुणौघानां स्थावरादतिरिच्यते प्रसन्नता च तोयस्य मनसो ऽप्यधिका च ते //

Transliteration

gurutvaṃ te guṇaughānāṃ sthāvarādatiricyate prasannatā ca toyasya manaso 'pyadhikā ca te //

Translation

Ta pesanteur surpasse celle de toutes les autres substances solides et immobiles ; et ta limpidité dépasse même celle de l’eau—oui, elle est plus grande encore que celle de l’esprit.

Word by Word

• gurutvam: heaviness, weight

• te: your/for you

• guṇa-oghānām: of masses/aggregates of qualities (i.e., of all qualities taken together)

• sthāvarāt: than the immobile/solid (substances)

• atiricyate: surpasses, exceeds

• prasannatā: clarity, limpidity, serenity

• ca: and

• toyasya: of water

• manasaḥ api: even of the mind

• adhikā: greater, superior

• ca: and

• te: your/for you

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• water (toya)
• mind (manas)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Panchabhuta
• Gunas
• Matsya Purana teachings
• Substance qualities

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic cosmology used in creation/dissolution accounts by ranking elemental qualities (like heaviness and clarity), which are invoked when describing how matter reconstitutes after Pralaya.

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

It offers a value-model: true steadiness (gurutva) and clarity (prasannatā) are praised as superior qualities—traits a king should embody in judgment and a householder in disciplined, calm conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

By emphasizing heaviness and clarity as defining virtues, the verse aligns with material discernment used in ritual and building choices—preferring stable, weight-bearing substances and pure/clear media (especially water) in temple and rite preparation.