Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

पितुरस्ति तथापि मनोविकृतिः सगुणो विगुणो बलवानबलः भवतो वरलाभनिवृत्तभयः कुलिशाङ्गसुतो दितिजो ऽतिबलः //

Transliteration

piturasti tathāpi manovikṛtiḥ saguṇo viguṇo balavānabalaḥ bhavato varalābhanivṛttabhayaḥ kuliśāṅgasuto ditijo 'tibalaḥ //

Translation

Bien qu’il soit réellement ton père, son esprit est déformé. Tantôt vertueux, tantôt défaillant ; tantôt puissant, tantôt faible. Mais toi—ayant obtenu une grâce—tu es délivré de la crainte. Tu es le Daitya d’une force extrême, fils de Kuliśāṅga.

Word by Word

• pituḥ: of the father

• asti: is/exists (indeed)

• tathāpi: even so/nevertheless

• manovikṛtiḥ: distortion/perversion of mind

• saguṇaḥ: with good qualities/virtuous

• viguṇaḥ: without good qualities/flawed

• balavān: strong

• abalaḥ: weak/powerless

• bhavataḥ: of you/for you

• varalābha: obtaining a boon

• nivṛtta-bhayaḥ: with fear removed/freed from fear

• kuliśāṅga-sutaḥ: son of Kuliśāṅga

• ditijaḥ: a son of Diti (Daitya)

• atibalaḥ: exceedingly strong.

Speaker

• Narrator in the Matsya Purana’s Daitya-genealogy discourse (contextual speaker attribution within the dialogue tradition of Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Diti (implied by ditija)
• Daitya (ditija)
• Kuliśāṅga

Tags

• Daityas
• Boons (Vara)
• Genealogy
• Mental disposition
• Power and fearlessness

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya directly; it focuses on lineage and psychology—how a father’s unstable mind contrasts with a boon-born fearlessness in a powerful Daitya.

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

It implicitly warns that mental instability (manovikṛti) leads to inconsistent conduct (saguṇa/viguṇa), whereas steadiness and freedom from fear should be grounded in dharma rather than merely in external power or boons.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned; the technical emphasis is on vara (boon), fearlessness, and Daitya lineage.