Shloka 55

Matsya Purana — Catalogue of the Eighteen Puranas

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मा ब्रह्माण्डमाहात्म्यम् अधिकृत्याब्रवीत्पुनः तच्च द्वादशसाहस्रं ब्रह्माण्डं द्विशताधिकम् //

Transliteration

brahmā brahmāṇḍamāhātmyam adhikṛtyābravītpunaḥ tacca dvādaśasāhasraṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ dviśatādhikam //

Translation

Brahmā, taking up again the topic of the glory of the Brahmāṇḍa (the cosmic egg), spoke further: “That Brahmāṇḍa is twelve thousand, with two hundred more added.”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• ब्रह्माण्ड-माहात्म्यम् (brahmāṇḍa-māhātmyam): the greatness/glory of the Brahmāṇḍa (cosmic egg)

• अधिकृत्य (adhikṛtya): having taken up/with reference to

• अब्रवीत् (abravīt): said/spoke

• पुनः (punaḥ): again/further

• तत्-च (tac ca): and that/indeed that

• द्वादश-साहस्रम् (dvādaśa-sāhasram): twelve thousand

• ब्रह्माण्डम् (brahmāṇḍam): the cosmic egg/universe

• द्विशत-अधिकम् (dviśatādhikam): increased by two hundred (i.e., plus 200).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (narrating Purāṇic cosmology to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmā
• Brahmāṇḍa

Tags

• Cosmology
• Brahmanda
• Creation
• Puranic measures
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

It focuses on cosmological description rather than Pralaya directly—highlighting the Brahmāṇḍa’s stated measure (12,200), a typical Purāṇic way of expressing the universe’s scale and structure.

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

Indirectly: the Matsya Purana often frames dharma within a cosmic order. By presenting the universe as measurable and ordered, it supports the idea that kingship and household life should mirror order, proportion, and rule-governed conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated, but the emphasis on proportion and sacred numeration aligns with Purāṇic/Vāstu thinking where correct measurement and cosmic correspondences guide temple plans and ritual layouts.