Shloka 38

Matsya Purana — Agastya’s Origin

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन महता तारकाद् अतिपीडितम् जगद्वीक्ष्य स कोपेन पीतवान्वरुणालयम् //

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena mahatā tārakād atipīḍitam jagadvīkṣya sa kopena pītavānvaruṇālayam //

Translation

Then, after a long time, seeing the world grievously tormented by Tāraka, he—angered—drank up Varuṇa’s abode, the realm of waters, the ocean.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereupon

• कालेन महता: after a great length of time

• तारकात्: because of Tāraka/from Tāraka

• अतिपीडितम्: severely oppressed/afflicted

• जगत्: the world

• वीक्ष्य: having seen/observing

• सः: he

• कोपेन: with anger/in wrath

• पीतवान्: drank up/consumed

• वरुणालयम्: Varuṇa’s abode, i.e., the ocean/watery realm

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the episode

Entities Mentioned

• Tāraka
• Varuṇa

Tags

• Devasura conflict
• Cosmic imbalance
• Mythic hydrology
• Wrath of a deity
• Tāraka episode

FAQs

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

It is not a Pralaya verse proper, but it uses a Pralaya-like motif: when cosmic order is crushed by a demon, a divine act affects the waters (Varuṇa’s realm), signaling drastic intervention to restore balance.

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

Indirectly, it models the dharmic principle that prolonged oppression must be checked: rulers are expected to notice public suffering (jagad vīkṣya) and act decisively to remove adharma, though human action must be measured rather than wrathful.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple rule appears, but the verse’s focus on waters (Varuṇa-ālaya) is relevant to ritual geography: sacred waters, tanks, and oceanic symbolism often frame Purāṇic rites and site selection themes in later Vāstu discussions.