Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Agastya’s Origin

Devanagari script

इतीन्द्रशापात्पतितौ तत्क्षणात्तौ महीतले अवाप्तावेकदेहेन कुम्भाज्जन्म तपोधन //

Transliteration

itīndraśāpātpatitau tatkṣaṇāttau mahītale avāptāvekadehena kumbhājjanma tapodhana //

Translation

Thus, by Indra’s curse, the two fell at that very moment upon the earth, and—having attained a single embodied form—were born from a pot, O ascetic treasure.

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• indra-śāpāt: due to Indra’s curse

• patitau: the two fell

• tat-kṣaṇāt: at that very instant

• tau: those two

• mahī-tale: on the surface of the earth

• avāptau: having obtained/attained

• eka-dehena: with a single body/in one embodied form

• kumbhāt: from a pot (jar)

• janma: birth

• tapo-dhana: O wealth of austerity (address to a great ascetic).

Speaker

• Narrator within the Matsya Purana’s dialogue frame (Suta-style narration as transmitted in the Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Indra

Tags

• Indra’s curse
• Transformation
• Sage-birth
• Kumbha-janma
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it illustrates karmic causality in Puranic narrative—Indra’s curse immediately precipitates a fall to earth and a transformed mode of birth.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Matsya Purana’s ethical logic: actions and transgressions invite consequences (śāpa/phala). For kings and householders, it underscores restraint, humility before higher law (dharma), and careful conduct to avoid blameworthy acts that lead to downfall.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-architecture rule is stated here; the only technical motif is “kumbha-janma” (birth from a pot), which can appear in ritual symbolism (kumbha as a vessel of manifestation), but this verse itself is primarily narrative, not architectural.