Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

गोधर्मं तु परं मत्वा स्नुषां तामभ्यपद्यत निर्भर्त्स्य चैनं रुद्ध्वा च बाहुभ्यां सम्प्रगृह्य च //

Transliteration

godharmaṃ tu paraṃ matvā snuṣāṃ tāmabhyapadyata nirbhartsya cainaṃ ruddhvā ca bāhubhyāṃ sampragṛhya ca //

Translation

എന്നാൽ ഗോധർമ്മം പരമമെന്ന് കരുതി അവൻ ആ മരുമകളുടെ അടുക്കൽ പാഞ്ഞു. അവൾ അവനെ ശാസിച്ച് തടഞ്ഞു, ഇരുകൈകളാൽ ദൃഢമായി പിടിച്ചു നിർത്തി.

Word by Word

• go-dharmam: the duty/dharma connected with the cow (cow-protection, non-violence)

• tu: but/indeed

• param: highest/supreme

• matvā: having considered

• snuṣām: the daughter-in-law

• tām: her/that woman

• abhyapadyata: rushed at/approached aggressively

• nirbhartsya: having scolded/rebuked

• ca: and

• enam: him

• ruddhvā: having stopped/restrained

• ca: and

• bāhubhyām: with (her) two arms

• sampragṛhya: having firmly held/seized

• ca: and

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting an episode within the Matsya Purana’s continuous narration (speaker attribution inferred from Purana narrative style for this adhyaya).

Entities Mentioned

• Cow (Go)
• Daughter-in-law (Snuṣā)

Tags

• Dharma
• Cow-protection
• Household ethics
• Restraint
• Social conduct

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it highlights ethical priority—treating go-dharma (cow-related duty and protection) as paramount and enforcing restraint in a tense household situation.

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

It reflects grihastha/raja-dharma values: protecting the vulnerable (symbolized by the cow and a woman in the household), condemning wrongful aggression, and upholding social order through rebuke and physical restraint when necessary.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu Shastra or temple-ritual instruction appears here; the significance is moral-ritual in a broader sense—go-dharma is treated as a sacred obligation, aligning with Purana-level norms of purity, protection, and non-violence.