Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 165

Devanagari script

यतो निःसाधनो धर्मः परिमाणोज्झिता रतिः धनं जीवितपर्याप्तं पत्यौ नार्याः प्रतिष्ठितम् //

Transliteration

yato niḥsādhano dharmaḥ parimāṇojjhitā ratiḥ dhanaṃ jīvitaparyāptaṃ patyau nāryāḥ pratiṣṭhitam //

Translation

Sesungguhnya dharma tidak terlaksana tanpa sarana yang wajar; kasih yang mengabaikan ukuran yang patut menjadi punca kebinasaan; dan harta yang mencukupi untuk kelangsungan hidup—yakni keselamatan serta martabat seorang wanita—ditegakkan pada suaminya.

Word by Word

• yataḥ: because/for this reason

• niḥ-sādhanaḥ: without means or resources

• dharmaḥ: righteous duty, dharma

• parimāṇa: measure, proper limit

• ujjhitā: abandoned, cast off, disregarded

• ratiḥ: affection, love, sexual union

• dhanaṃ: wealth

• jīvita-paryāptam: sufficient for sustaining life

• patyau: in the husband

• nāryāḥ: of a woman

• pratiṣṭhitam: established, grounded, secured

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within didactic discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Manu

Tags

• Dharma
• Grihastha
• Householder duties
• Ethics
• Social order

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is ethical instruction focused on sustaining dharma in worldly life through proper means, moderation, and stable household order.

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

It supports householder ethics: dharma requires adequate resources, desire must be governed by restraint, and household stability depends on responsible provision—principles that also inform a king’s duty to ensure economic order and moral discipline in society.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the key takeaway is the principle of “proper measure” (parimāṇa), a broader Purāṇic ethic that also underlies disciplined practice in rites and regulated conduct.