Matsya Purana — Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dialogue: Yayāti’s Transgression, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विब्रूत मे यथातथ्यं श्रोतुकामास्म्यतो ह्य् अहम् ते ऽदर्शयन्प्रदेशिन्या तमेव नृपसत्तमम् //

Transliteration

vibrūta me yathātathyaṃ śrotukāmāsmyato hy aham te 'darśayanpradeśinyā tameva nṛpasattamam //

Translation

“യഥാർത്ഥമായ കാര്യം എനിക്കു പറയുക; ഞാൻ കേൾക്കാൻ ആകാംക്ഷയുള്ളവനാണ്.” തുടർന്ന് അവർ വിരലാൽ സ്ഥലം സൂചിപ്പിച്ച് അതേ ശ്രേഷ്ഠ നൃപനെ കാണിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• vibrūta: please tell/explain

• me: to me

• yathā-tathyam: as it really is, truthfully

• śrotu-kāmā: desirous to hear

• asmi: I am

• ataḥ hi: therefore indeed

• te: you/they

• adarśayan: showed/pointed out

• pradeśinyā: by indicating (with a gesture), by pointing out the place

• tam eva: that very one

• nṛpa-sattamam: the best among kings

Speaker

• Narrator within the dialogue frame (a questioner addressing a guide/informant in the royal episode; exact interlocutors not explicit in this standalone verse)

Entities Mentioned

• nṛpasattama (best of kings)

Tags

• Dialogue
• Royal narrative
• Inquiry
• Truthfulness
• Guidance

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly discuss Pralaya; it emphasizes truthful narration and the act of being shown a specific person/place within a royal episode.

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

It underscores a key dharmic principle relevant to rulers and householders alike: seeking and giving information “yathātathyam” (as it truly is), i.e., truthful counsel and reliable testimony in governance and conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure appears here; the only technical nuance is “pradeśinyā”—a precise pointing-out of a location, which functions as narrative staging rather than architectural instruction.