Matsya Purana — Devayānī Meets Yayāti: Courtship, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

*देवयान्युवाच पाणिग्रहो नाहुषायं न पुंभिः सेवितः पुरा त्वं पाणिमग्रहीदग्रे वृणोमि त्वामहं ततः //

Transliteration

*devayānyuvāca pāṇigraho nāhuṣāyaṃ na puṃbhiḥ sevitaḥ purā tvaṃ pāṇimagrahīdagre vṛṇomi tvāmahaṃ tataḥ //

Translation

ദേവയാനി പറഞ്ഞു—നഹുഷനുവേണ്ടി മുമ്പ് പുരുഷന്മാർ പാണിഗ്രഹണസംസ്കാരം ആചരിച്ചിട്ടില്ല. എന്നാൽ നീ തന്നെയാണ് ആദ്യം എന്റെ കൈ പിടിച്ചത്; അതുകൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ നിന്നെയേ തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• devayānī uvāca: Devayānī said

• pāṇigrahaḥ: the taking of the hand (marriage rite)

• nāhuṣāyam: for/into the line of Nahusha

• na: not

• puṃbhiḥ: by men

• sevitaḥ: practiced/observed

• purā: formerly/earlier

• tvam: you

• pāṇim: (my) hand

• agrahīt: took/seized

• agre: first/before others

• vṛṇomi: I choose

• tvām: you

• aham: I

• tataḥ: therefore/for that reason

Speaker

• Devayānī

Entities Mentioned

• Devayānī
• Nahusha

Tags

• Dynasties
• Marriage Rite
• Genealogy
• Royal Lineages
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it belongs to a genealogical narrative focused on social custom (pāṇigraha) and personal choice in marriage.

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

It highlights the dharmic framing of marriage as a formal rite (pāṇigraha) and implies the importance of recognized social procedure and consent—central to a householder’s lawful life and lineage continuity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is the pāṇigraha (hand-taking) marriage rite; there is no Vāstu or temple-architecture instruction in this verse.