Matsya Purana — The Tale of Brahmadatta: Past-life Memory, Shloka 1
*ऋषय ऊचुः कथं सत्त्वरुतज्ञो ऽभूद् ब्रह्मदत्तो धरातले तच्चाभवत्कस्य कुले चक्रवाकचतुष्टयम् //
*ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathaṃ sattvarutajño 'bhūd brahmadatto dharātale taccābhavatkasya kule cakravākacatuṣṭayam //
Les sages dirent : «Comment Brahmadatta apparut-il sur la terre comme celui qui comprenait les voix et les cris des êtres vivants ? Et dans quelle lignée advint ce quatuor d’oiseaux cakravāka ?»
FAQs
This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it opens a narrative inquiry about Brahmadatta’s extraordinary knowledge and the origin of the cakravāka quartet, indicating a shift into lineage-and-story material rather than cosmic dissolution.
By highlighting Brahmadatta as a “knower of creatures’ voices,” the verse frames an ideal of attentive, discerning rulership—suggesting that a king (and by extension a householder) should understand the needs and signals of beings under their care, a core Purāṇic ethic of protection (rakṣaṇa) and compassion.
No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it functions as a narrative preface. For SEO and internal linking, this can be cross-referenced with nearby Matsya Purana sections that explicitly teach temple-building and ritual rules.