Shloka 29

Matsya Purana — Devayānī and Śarmiṣṭhā’s Quarrel

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा दुहितरं काव्यो देवयानीं तपोवने बाहुभ्यां सम्परिष्वज्य दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् //

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā duhitaraṃ kāvyo devayānīṃ tapovane bāhubhyāṃ sampariṣvajya duḥkhito vākyamabravīt //

Translation

Thấy con gái Devayānī trong khu rừng tu khổ hạnh, Kāvya (Śukrācārya) dang cả hai tay ôm lấy nàng, lòng đau xót, rồi nói những lời sau.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• दुहितरम्: (his) daughter

• काव्यः: Kāvya (Śukra/Śukrācārya)

• देवयानीम्: Devayānī

• तपोवने: in the grove/forest of ascetic practice

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (his) two arms

• सम्परिष्वज्य: having fully embraced

• दुःखितः: sorrowful, distressed

• वाक्यम्: words, a statement

• अब्रवीत्: said, spoke

Speaker

• Sūta/Primary Narrator (describing Śukra’s action; the direct speech follows in subsequent verses)

Entities Mentioned

• Kāvya (Śukra/Śukrācārya)
• Devayānī
• Tapovana (forest of austerities)

Tags

• Genealogy
• Yayati episode
• Devayani
• Shukra
• Narrative

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is part of a dynastic narrative (Devayānī and Śukra), not a pralaya or cosmology passage.

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

It highlights the householder ideal of parental responsibility and protection: Śukra’s embrace and grief foreground a father’s duty to safeguard his daughter’s welfare, a theme that later shapes royal alliances and ethical consequences in the Yayāti cycle.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu/temple-architecture rule appears here; the only ritual nuance is the setting—“tapovana,” a consecrated ascetic grove associated with austerity and disciplined living.