Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 182

Devanagari script

संसारे जायमानस्य भ्रियमाणस्य देहिनः नश्यते देह एवात्र नात्मनो नाश उच्यते //

Transliteration

saṃsāre jāyamānasya bhriyamāṇasya dehinaḥ naśyate deha evātra nātmano nāśa ucyate //

Translation

Pour l’être incarné, né dans le saṃsāra et emporté par son cours, seul le corps périt ici ; la destruction du Soi (ātman) n’est pas affirmée.

Word by Word

• saṃsāre: in saṃsāra, in worldly existence

• jāyamānasya: of one being born, of the one who comes into birth

• bhriyamāṇasya: of one being borne/carried along, driven onward (by the stream of existence/karma)

• dehinaḥ: of the embodied being

• naśyate: perishes, is destroyed

• dehaḥ eva: the body alone indeed

• atra: here (in this world/condition)

• na: not

• ātmanaḥ: of the Self

• nāśaḥ: destruction, annihilation

• ucyate: is said, is declared.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Atman
• Deha
• Samsara

Tags

• Atman
• Samsara
• Moksha
• Vedanta
• Imperishability of the Self

FAQs

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

It frames dissolution in philosophical terms: what truly “perishes” is the body, while the ātman is not subject to destruction—implying that even in cosmic change, the Self remains untouched.

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

By distinguishing body from Self, it supports steadiness in dharma: a king or householder should act responsibly without despair or fear of death, understanding that bodily loss is not the annihilation of the true Self.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct vastu/ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is doctrinal—ritual and right conduct are oriented toward realizing the imperishable ātman rather than merely preserving the perishable body.