Matsya Purana — Devayānī–Śarmiṣṭhā Dialogue: Yayāti’s Transgression, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

पूज्यासि मम मान्या च श्रेष्ठा ज्येष्ठा च ब्राह्मणी त्वत्तो हि मे पूज्यतरो राजर्षिः किं न वेत्सि तत् //

Transliteration

pūjyāsi mama mānyā ca śreṣṭhā jyeṣṭhā ca brāhmaṇī tvatto hi me pūjyataro rājarṣiḥ kiṃ na vetsi tat //

Translation

تم میری عبادت اور احترام کے لائق ہو—اے برہمن خاتون، تم افضل، مقدم اور بڑی ہو؛ مگر میری عقیدت میں تم سے بھی زیادہ قابلِ تعظیم راجرشی ہے—کیا تم یہ نہیں جانتیں؟

Word by Word

• पूज्यासि (pūjyāsi): you are worthy of worship/reverence

• मम (mama): to me / my

• मान्या (mānyā): venerable, to be honored

• च (ca): and

• श्रेष्ठा (śreṣṭhā): excellent, foremost

• ज्येष्ठा (jyeṣṭhā): elder, senior

• च (ca): and

• ब्राह्मणी (brāhmaṇī): Brahmin woman / lady of a Brahmin household

• त्वत्तः (tvattaḥ): than you

• हि (hi): indeed, for

• मे (me): to me

• पूज्यतरः (pūjyataraḥ): more worthy of reverence

• राजर्षिः (rājarṣiḥ): royal sage (kingly seer)

• किम् (kim): why / how

• न (na): not

• वेत्सि (vetsi): do you know/understand

• तत् (tat): that (fact).

Speaker

• A male advisor/elder addressing a Brahmin woman (contextual speaker within Matsya Purana’s ethical dialogue; exact named speaker not explicit from the single verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Brāhmaṇī
• Rājarṣi

Tags

• Dharma
• Rajadharma
• Social hierarchy
• Respect
• Ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on dharmic etiquette—who deserves honor and the relative hierarchy of reverence.

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

It implies a dharmic hierarchy of respect: householders should honor elders and the virtuous; a king who is a rājarṣi (a ruler guided by spiritual insight) may be regarded as especially worthy of reverence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu/temple-building rule appears here; the ritual idea present is ‘pūjya’—worthiness of worship or formal honor—applied to social and ethical ranking.