Matsya Purana — Measures of Time: Caturyuga Computation, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

अनादिनिधना दिव्याः पूर्वं प्रोक्ताः स्वयम्भुवा स्वधर्मसंवृताः साङ्गा यथाधर्मं युगे युगे विक्रियन्ते स्वधर्मं तु वेदवादाद्यथायुगम् //

Transliteration

anādinidhanā divyāḥ pūrvaṃ proktāḥ svayambhuvā svadharmasaṃvṛtāḥ sāṅgā yathādharmaṃ yuge yuge vikriyante svadharmaṃ tu vedavādādyathāyugam //

Translation

ഈ ദിവ്യവിധാനങ്ങൾ അനാദിയും അനന്തവും ആകുന്നു; പൂർവ്വം സ്വയംഭൂ (ബ്രഹ്മാവ്) ഇവ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. സ്വധർമ്മത്തിൽ ആവൃതവും വേദാംഗങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയതുമായ ഇവ യುಗംതോറും ധർമ്മാനുസരിച്ച് പരിവർത്തിതമാകുന്നു; അതിനാൽ യುಗാനുസൃതമായി വേദവചനത്തിൽ നിന്നാണ് സ്വധർമ്മം നിർണ്ണയിക്കേണ്ടത്.

Word by Word

• अनादिनिधना: beginningless and endless

• दिव्याः: divine (ordinances/teachings)

• पूर्वं: formerly

• प्रोक्ताः: proclaimed

• स्वयम्भुवा: by Svayambhū (Brahmā)

• स्वधर्मसंवृताः: enclosed/defined by their own dharma (proper law)

• साङ्गाः: with the aṅgas (auxiliaries/ancillary disciplines)

• यथाधर्मम्: in accordance with dharma

• युगे युगे: in each yuga

• विक्रियन्ते: are altered/modified

• स्वधर्मम्: one’s own duty

• तु: indeed

• वेदवादात्: from Vedic instruction/authoritative Vedic statement

• यथायुगम्: according to the yuga.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Svayambhu (Brahma)
• Veda
• Dharma
• Yuga

Tags

• Dharma
• Yuga-dharma
• Vedic Authority
• Smriti
• Ethics

FAQs

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

It does not describe pralaya directly; it teaches that divine norms are eternal in principle yet their practical expression changes across yugas, and that Vedic authority guides what is appropriate in any age.

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

It frames royal and household duties as yuga-conditioned: governance, charity, penance, and social obligations should be chosen according to what the Veda authorizes for the current age, rather than applying one fixed rule-set indiscriminately.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No specific Vāstu rule is stated, but the principle applies to ritual and temple practice: procedures and ancillary disciplines (aṅgas) must align with Vedic injunctions appropriate to the yuga, shaping how rites and observances are performed.