Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

शारीरान् अथ वक्ष्यामि मातृहीनान् प्रजापतेः अङ्गुष्ठाद् दक्षिणाद् दक्षः प्रजापतिर् अजायत //

Transliteration

śārīrān atha vakṣyāmi mātṛhīnān prajāpateḥ aṅguṣṭhād dakṣiṇād dakṣaḥ prajāpatir ajāyata //

Translation

今我将叙述由生主（Prajāpati）之身所生、无母而出的诸祖。从右手拇指，生主达叉（Dakṣa）诞生。

Word by Word

• śārīrān: bodily-born, embodied progeny

• atha: now/then

• vakṣyāmi: I shall explain

• mātṛ-hīnān: motherless, without a mother

• prajāpateḥ: of Prajāpati (the Lord of creatures)

• aṅguṣṭhāt: from (the) thumb

• dakṣiṇāt: from the right side/right

• dakṣaḥ: Dakṣa (name of a Prajāpati)

• prajāpatiḥ: progenitor, lord of beings

• ajāyata: was born/was produced

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in dialogue with Vaivasvata Manu, narrating creation/genealogy)

Entities Mentioned

• Prajāpati
• Dakṣa

Tags

• Creation
• Genealogy
• Prajāpatis
• Sarga
• Puranic cosmology

FAQs

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

It describes creation (sarga), specifically a miraculous, motherless emergence of a Prajāpati (Dakṣa) from Prajāpati’s body, not dissolution (pralaya).

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

Indirectly, it grounds social and ritual order in sacred genealogy: Prajāpatis like Dakṣa are archetypal progenitors linked with regulation of progeny, rites, and lineage—frameworks that kings protect and householders sustain through dharma and ritual continuity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is genealogical—Dakṣa’s emergence as a Prajāpati supports later Purāṇic discussions of sacrifice, progeny, and ritual regulation associated with Dakṣa’s lineage.