Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 23

Devanagari script

स चापि चिन्तयामास कृते प्रतिकृतिक्रियाम् मद्विधे वस्तुनि पुंसि प्रभोः परिभवोदयात् //

Transliteration

sa cāpi cintayāmāsa kṛte pratikṛtikriyām madvidhe vastuni puṃsi prabhoḥ paribhavodayāt //

Translation

അവനും പ്രതികാരപ്രവർത്തി എങ്ങനെ നടത്താമെന്ന് ആലോചിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി; കാരണം എന്റെ പോലെയുള്ള തുച്ഛ മനുഷ്യൻ മൂലം അവന്റെ പ്രഭുവിന് അപമാനം സംഭവിച്ചിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• सः: he

• च अपि: also/indeed

• चिन्तयामास: thought, reflected, pondered

• कृते: with regard to what had been done / in the matter at hand

• प्रतिकृतिक्रियाम्: the act of counter-doing, retaliation, counter-measure

• मद्विधे: of my kind, like me

• वस्तुनि: in a thing/person (here: an insignificant entity)

• पुंसि: in a man/person

• प्रभोः: of the lord/master

• परिभव: humiliation, insult

• उदयात्: from the arising/origination (because it had arisen).

Speaker

• Suta (narrative voice describing a character’s reaction within the episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Prabhu (lord/master)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Niti
• Offence
• Retaliation
• Honor

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on human emotion and ethics—how humiliation gives rise to thoughts of retaliation.

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

It highlights a key Rajadharma concern: the impulse to retaliate after an insult. A king or householder is expected to restrain reactive vengeance and choose proportionate, dharma-aligned action rather than being driven by wounded honor.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or ritual procedure is specified here; the verse is primarily ethical-psychological, describing the rise of retaliatory intent from perceived dishonor.