Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana

by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words

This page relates ‘Family life according to the Matsya Purana’ of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.

Family life according to the Matsya Purāṇa

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The bearer and carrier of culture is man and man is a social animal so it can be said otherwise that society and culture are defined separately but complementary to each other. Society is an organized group of individuals that consists of a set of lifestyles as well as social relations and the sum of human beings and the relationship between them. And culture is the way of life or relationships of individuals in a society that is naturally passed down from one generation to the next. In this way socio-culture and individual are intertwined. It is very important to know the social structure in order to know about this subject of society and culture. Social structure is the structure of society. The family comes first in the context of the concept of social structure.

Several chapters in the Matsya Purāṇa describe about the family. Family is an important part of society. The family is a special place of peace and security for the individual. The family is a social organization. That organization consists of different relationships such as husband-wife, son-daughters, parents etc. The individual values of these relationships have been described in different chapters of the Matsya Purāṇa .

In the description of the Tripura fort of Mayadānava in the chapter 131st. It is said that all the demons lived happily in Tripura with their families, i.e. wives and children.^[1] That is a person’s family would be filled only by his wife and children, and the reason for happiness was also that family. This chapter also mentions the religion of their service to individuals. It is said that their sons served fathers and wives served husbands.^[2] The 100th chapter speaks of the Vibhūtidvādaśī vows.

There is a story about king Puśpavāhana and his wife Lāvanyavati . This chapter deals with wife’s duty and the sweet relationship between husband and wife. There is a story of how much king Puśpavāhana loved his wife and how much king loved his wife in the previous birth.^[3] Although there was no one in the previous birth, his wife did not leave him, but remained with her husband equally in every misery, duty and iniquity, startvation.^[4] This sacred pattern of husband and wife’s duty is an important example of building a good family. It has been said that having a good husband is a sign of a wife’s good fortune. But not only a wife but also a good wife is a matter of good fortune for a man. Because a woman is the source of happiness in this world and the hereafter for her patriarch and husband.^[5] Regarding the relationship between husband and wife, it has been said that no matter how poor, foolish, unlucky a husband may be, he will always be the absolute deity of the wife.^[6] The same thing is said in chapter 210. There it is said that the absolute god of the wife is husband. The husband gives them shelter so the wives need to follow the husband. The father and son give moderate property but the husband is the only one who gives the wives immeasurable property. That is why wives should always worship their husbands.^[7] The complete joy of a wife’s life, happiness depends on her husband. The wife cannot enjoy any property independently, and only her husband has the right to everything.^[8] Not only the duty of the wife but also some rules of punishing the wife have been written in the Purāṇa . For example, if a wife is proud of the strength of her relatives and does not fulfill her responsibility to her husband, the king will leave her in a place surrounded by many people.^[9] The husband can punish the wife by hitting her with a rope or bamboo stick, but not on the head and back of the wife. If that happen then it would be a crime as steal of the husband.^[10] In the Matsya Purāṇa the sweet relationship between husband and wife is also highlighted in the form of an ant couple. In the 20th chapter, in the context of the story of king Brahmadatta and his wife Sannati, the ant couple is mentioned. There it is shown how the male ants described the form for the disfigurement of his wife.^[11] The husband also described how satisfied and pleased he was with his wife’s duty.^[12] There is a beautiful picture of how the wife is arguing with her husband by expressing her pride.^[13] Finally, there is a beautiful description of how the husband is pleasing her by humiliating her.^[14] From all these descriptions it is clear that in the family there should be a sweet relationship between husband and wife with love quarrel, value-pride. There will be discipline as there will be love in the relationship. There will be quarrels and disputes and there will be reconciliation. The assembly of all these sweet features is found in the descriptions of the Purāṇas . This pattern is very important in the context of the present time.

The family consists not only of husband and wife but also of children. Now let us see what features are described in the Purāṇas about the son and the Father. The Matsya Purāṇa depicts the amicable relationship between father and son. In the Tripura city of Maya demon, the sons were always obedient and respected to his father.^[15] Bṛhaspati’s son Koch was so obedient and respected to his father that he voluntarily went to Śukrācārya , the enemy of the gods, without fear of his own death.^[16] Satyavāna , a dutiful and obedient son, used to leave the palace and live in the forest with his father out of respect and love for his father. Although that life was very difficult for him.^[17] Puru accepted his father’s old age and gave his youth to his father, obeying his father’s orders.^[18] Chapter 21 contains the story of Brahmadatta and the four Cakravākas . There is a record of the birth of four sons in the house of a poor Brahmin of four Cakravākas . This account shows how the four Cakravākas acquired property to their father, from king Brahmadatta and went to do austerities themsevels.^[19] We also get the example of some disobedient sons who suffer all their lives for disobeying their father. When Yayāti grows old under the curse of the demon’s guru Śukrācārya , king Yayāti begs for youth from his children to fulfill the desire of his youth. But Devayāni ’s son Yadu and Turvasu refuse to give youth and get the curse of the father similarly Śarmisthā’s son Druhya and Anu also refused to give youth to their father and get curse from Yayāti . But when Puru agrees to donate his youth to his father, king Yayāti is satisfied and rewards him.^[20] Yakṣa Pūrnabhadrā evicted his son Harikesha from his home. The son named Harikesha who was born in the house of Yakṣa Pūrṇabhadra used to worship Mahādeva without following the rules of Yakṣā , and lived like a Brahmin. Angered by this, father Pūrṇabhadra evicted his son Harikesha from the house.^[21] From these signs it is clear that the fathers had complete authority over the son and expected obedience from him and considered it advisable to punish him if it did not work.

In the Purāṇa the son has been given much more dignity than daughter. Everyone gave more importance to having a son as there would be relief from hell in having a son as there would be relief from hell in having a son.^[22] Even many sons were desired, so that the salvation of the ancestors could be achieved by at least one of them through Gayāyātra, Kanyadāna and Taurus sacrifice.^[23] verse 512 of the chapter 154 says that one son is equal to ten lakes. Everyone practiced austerities for the sake of having a son. For example, king Anuha of Pāñcāla country performed austerities on Lord Nārāyaṇa for the purpose of having a son.^[24] On the other hand, Vajrānga did austerities to Lord Brahma for the purpose of having a son who would defeat the gods and win^[25], or would be the mourner of his wife Barāngi .^[26] When king Ūrva decided to do austerities without having children, the Brahmins suggested him to have a son to protect his dynasty.^[27] When king Bharata did yajña of Marutsoma for the purpose of having a son, the Marutas handed over the infant son Bharadvāja , abandoned by his parents, to Bharata .^[28] From all the patterns discussed it is clear that sons are held in high-esteem in society. He is for the sake of genealogy. The son holds the lineage. The son has been determined as the cause of all welfare and well-being.

Mother and father have the highest place insociety. However, along with the parents, the Guru is also absolutely revered. The Guru was considered as the Acārya , the father as the Prajāpati , the mother as the earth (Pṛthivī) and the brother as the soul.^[29] Therefore, man should never insult the father, mother and guru because man attains heaven by taking care of austerities celibacy, fire and the guru.^[30] The debt that mothers and fathers endure at birth cannot be repaid even in hundreds and millions of years.^[31] That is why human beings should always do the favorite deeds of parents and gurus. Because only when these three are satisfied, all austerities are completed.^[32] These three are the three Lokas, three Āśramas , three Vedas and three Agnis .^[33] The father is Gārhapatya Agni , the mother is Dakṣinagni and the Guru is Āhavanīya Agni .^[34] If you take care of your mother, you will get heaven, if you take care of your father, you will get the middle world (Madhyaloka ), and if you take care of your guru, you will get Brahmaloka .^[35] They should not be abandoned even if their parents have fallen. But if someone does this, there is a rule to give him 600 gold coins.^[36] Other elders can be abandoned if they fall, but the mother cannot be abandoned if she falls. The mother’s glory is considered above the elders for conceiving during pregnancy.^[37]

Matsya Purāṇa depicts a beautiful relationship between mother-in-law, father-in-law and daughter in law. Sāvitri served her mother and father in-law well enough. The tried to give them all kinds of benefits. And when Yamarāja was pleased with Sāvitri and wanted to give her a blessed, he wanted the vision and kingdom back of his father-in-law.^[38]

In the Matsya Purāṇa we see several examples of the relationship of a daughter with their parents. Just as there are examples of wise and loving daughters, there are also example of ignorant and grumpy daughter. In the 32ndchapter, where Devayanī angrily hits Śarmiṣṭhā , on the other hand, Śarmiṣṭhā shows respect to Devayānī without sacrificing her duty and dignity even after the injury. The daughters kept the honor and command of the father. Daughters could give up everything for the sake of their father. Jayanti is the daughter of Indra. Fearing Śukrācārya’s austerities, Devarāja Indra surrendered his daughter to Śukrācārya and Jayanti also went to Śukrācārya on the advice of his father and married him.^[39] Although the relationship between father and daughter is sweet, the Purāṇa says that if the daughter comes to her father without informing the husband, the father will not give shelter to his daughter in his house. An example of this is found in the chapter eleven. Unable to bear the heat of the Sūrya devatā , Devī Sañjā goes to her father without informing her husband, but her father Tvaṣṭa does not give her shelter.^[40] However, it is also true that this Purāṇa also depicts the father’s worried for the well-being of his daughter. In the face Himālaya worried to hear about Umā ’s future from Devarṣi Nārada .^[41] Mother Menā (Menakā) also became desperate to know about the welfare of her daughter from Devarṣi Nārada .^[42] Although all these examples are Purāṇaic , they have similarities with real life. Even now, the parents are always anxious about their daughter’s life and her future. Just as the marriage of a daughter is an absolute joy to the parents, so it is very difficult too for the parents to leave the house of the daughter’s father and go to the house of the husband. All these feelings are depicted in different chapter of the Purāṇa .