Matsya Purana — Code of Conduct and Vow-Procedure for Courtesans, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

*ईश्वर उवाच तस्मिन्नेव युगे ब्रह्मन् सहस्राणि तु षोडश वासुदेवस्य नारीणां भविष्यन्त्यम्बुजोद्भव //

Transliteration

*īśvara uvāca tasminneva yuge brahman sahasrāṇi tu ṣoḍaśa vāsudevasya nārīṇāṃ bhaviṣyantyambujodbhava //

Translation

主は言われた。「まさにその時代に、ブラフマンよ――蓮華より生まれし者よ――ヴァースデーヴァには一万六千の女人（妻・妃）がいるであろう。」

Word by Word

• ईश्वर (īśvara): the Lord

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• तस्मिन् (tasmin): in that

• एव (eva): indeed/very

• युगे (yuge): in the age/era

• ब्रह्मन् (brahman): O Brahman (sage/address)

• सहस्राणि (sahasrāṇi): thousands

• तु (tu): and/indeed

• षोडश (ṣoḍaśa): sixteen

• वासुदेवस्य (vāsudevasya): of Vāsudeva (Krishna/Vishnu as Vāsudeva)

• नारीणाम् (nārīṇām): of women

• भविष्यन्ति (bhaviṣyanti): will be/will come to be

• अम्बुजोद्भव (ambujodbhava): O lotus-born (epithet of Brahmā).

Speaker

• Īśvara (the Lord; in Matsya Purana dialogue typically Lord Matsya/Vishnu speaking)

Entities Mentioned

• Īśvara
• Vāsudeva
• Brahmā (Ambujodbhava)

Tags

• Vaishnava
• Prophecy
• Krishna
• Dynasties
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a prophetic Vaishnava statement describing Vāsudeva’s extraordinary household/consorts in a particular yuga.

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

Indirectly, it highlights the Purāṇic theme that divine incarnations can display superhuman social arrangements; it does not prescribe ordinary householder or royal duties, but situates Vāsudeva’s life as exceptional rather than normative.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building rule, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is a narrative-prophetic detail about Vāsudeva.