Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

खद्योतरूपी विचरन्न् आविर्भावं व्यचिन्तयत् ज्ञात्वाग्निं कल्पकालादाव् अपः पृथ्वीं च संश्रिता //

Transliteration

khadyotarūpī vicarann āvirbhāvaṃ vyacintayat jñātvāgniṃ kalpakālādāv apaḥ pṛthvīṃ ca saṃśritā //

Translation

Moving about in the form of a firefly, he contemplated the manner of manifestation. Knowing the principle of Fire at the beginning of the kalpa, he resorted to the Waters and to the Earth.

Word by Word

• खद्योतरूपी: in the form of a firefly

• विचरन्: moving about, wandering

• आविर्भावम्: manifestation, appearance

• व्यचिन्तयत्: he reflected upon, considered

• ज्ञात्वा: having known

• अग्निम्: fire (Agni), the fire-principle

• कल्प-काल-आदौ: at the beginning of the aeon/time-cycle

• अपः: the waters

• पृथ्वीम्: the earth

• च: and

• संश्रिता: resorted to, took refuge in, became associated with

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Pralaya/creation sequence; framed within the Matsya–Manu discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Agni (Fire principle)
• Apaḥ (Waters)
• Pṛthvī (Earth)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmogony
• Elements
• Kalpa
• Matsya Purana creation doctrine

FAQs

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

It hints at the post-Pralaya re-manifestation process: a conscious principle contemplates emergence and, at the start of a Kalpa, relates the fire-principle to the foundational supports of waters and earth—signaling elemental reconstitution after dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma in cosmic order: rulers and householders are urged (elsewhere in the Matsya Purana) to align conduct, ritual, and governance with the rhythms of Kalpa and the stability of the elements—acting with foresight, restraint, and responsibility amid change.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not a Vastu rule itself, the verse foregrounds the elemental triad (fire, water, earth) that later underpins ritual layout and Vastu logic—e.g., proper placement and balancing of agni (fire rites), ap (water features), and bhūmi (site/earth) in sacred and domestic spaces.