Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

उत्पन्नाः शूद्रयोना तु भवच्छन्दे सुरोत्तम अन्धं वृद्धं च मां ज्ञात्वा सुदेष्णा महिषी तव प्राहिणोद् अवमानान्मे शूद्रां धात्रेयिकां नृप //

Transliteration

utpannāḥ śūdrayonā tu bhavacchande surottama andhaṃ vṛddhaṃ ca māṃ jñātvā sudeṣṇā mahiṣī tava prāhiṇod avamānānme śūdrāṃ dhātreyikāṃ nṛpa //

Translation

“Sesungguhnya aku lahir dari rahim Śūdra menurut kehendakmu sendiri, wahai yang termulia di antara para dewa. Apabila Sudeṣṇā, permaisurimu, mengetahui bahawa aku buta dan telah tua, maka kerana menghina, wahai raja, baginda mengutus kepadaku seorang inang penyusu dari kalangan Śūdra.”

Word by Word

• utpannāḥ: born/produced

• śūdra-yonā: from a Śūdra womb

• tu: indeed/but

• bhavat-chande: by your desire/at your pleasure

• sura-uttama: O best of the gods

• andham: blind

• vṛddham: aged/old

• ca: and

• mām: me

• jñātvā: having known/realizing

• sudeṣṇā: Sudeṣṇā (proper name)

• mahiṣī: chief queen

• tava: your

• prāhiṇot: sent/dispatched

• avamānāt: out of disrespect/contempt

• me: to me/for me

• śūdrām: a Śūdra woman

• dhātreyikām: wet-nurse/nurse (female attendant)

• nṛpa: O king.

Speaker

• A lamenting court figure addressing a superior (likely within a king-and-counselor narrative frame in Adhyaya 48)

Entities Mentioned

• Sudeṣṇā
• mahīṣī (queen)
• nṛpa (king)
• surottama (best of the gods)

Tags

• Court narrative
• Humiliation
• Old age and blindness
• Royal household
• Social status

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a courtly, ethical narrative about status, contempt, and treatment of the vulnerable, not a pralaya teaching.

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

It implies a ruler’s duty to prevent humiliation and neglect within the royal household—especially toward the aged, infirm, or dependent—since contemptuous treatment becomes a moral failing and a cause of social disorder.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is stated; the verse contains no Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure terminology.