Shloka 45

Matsya Purana — Cosmic Architecture of Sun–Moon and the ‘Houses of the Gods’

Devanagari script

अभिमानेन तिष्ठन्ति तानि देवाः पुनः पुनः अतीतास्तु सहातीतैर् भाव्या भाव्यैः सुरैः सह //

Transliteration

abhimānena tiṣṭhanti tāni devāḥ punaḥ punaḥ atītāstu sahātītair bhāvyā bhāvyaiḥ suraiḥ saha //

Translation

Sustained by abhimāna (self-identification), those gods continue to hold their stations again and again; the gods of the past pass on together with what has passed, and the gods yet to come arise together with what is yet to come.

Word by Word

• abhimānena: through self-identification, ego-sense

• tiṣṭhanti: remain, stand, endure

• tāni: those (orders/positions)

• devāḥ: the gods

• punaḥ punaḥ: again and again, repeatedly

• atītāḥ: those who are past (former)

• tu: indeed, however

• saha: together with

• atītaiḥ: with what has passed/with the past ones

• bhāvyāḥ: those who are to be (future ones)

• bhāvyaiḥ: with what is yet to come/with future ones

• suraiḥ: with the gods

• saha: together

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s dialogue framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Devas
• Suras

Tags

• Manvantara
• CosmicCycles
• DevaOrder
• Abhimana
• PuranicPhilosophy

FAQs

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

It implies cyclic time: divine offices recur “again and again,” with past orders dissolving and future orders emerging—consistent with the Purana’s broader view that pralaya ends one arrangement and another arises afterward.

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

It cautions that status and role persist only through identification with office; a king or householder should perform duty without clinging to ego (abhimāna), recognizing that positions are cyclical and transient.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is conceptual—ritual roles and divine functions are recurring and ordered across cycles, a background assumption used when the Purana later systematizes rites and temple service roles.