Shloka 10

Matsya Purana — Cosmic Creation: Emergence of the Great Elements and the Navel-Lotus

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा भूतानि भगवांल् लोकसृष्ट्यर्थमुत्तमम् ब्रह्मणो जन्मसहितं बहुरूपो व्यचिन्तयत् //

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā bhūtāni bhagavāṃl lokasṛṣṭyarthamuttamam brahmaṇo janmasahitaṃ bahurūpo vyacintayat //

Translation

Having beheld the beings, the Blessed Lord—assuming many forms—pondered the supreme means for the creation of the worlds, together with the arising (birth) of Brahmā.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā): having seen

• भूतानि (bhūtāni): living beings / created entities

• भगवान् (bhagavān): the Blessed Lord (Īśvara/Vişṇu as supreme)

• लोक-सृष्टि-अर्थम् (loka-sṛṣṭi-artham): for the purpose of creating the worlds

• उत्तमम् (uttamam): the highest / supreme

• ब्रह्मणः (brahmaṇaḥ): of Brahmā

• जन्म-सहितम् (janma-sahitam): together with the birth/origin

• बहु-रूपः (bahu-rūpaḥ): of many forms

• व्यचिन्तयत् (vyacintayat): he reflected/considered.

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice) describing the Supreme Lord’s creative resolve (contextually aligned with Lord Matsya/Vişṇu’s cosmological teaching to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Bhagavān (Supreme Lord/Vishnu)
• Brahmā
• Bhūtāni (beings)

Tags

• Sarga
• Cosmology
• Creation
• Brahmā-janma
• Theology

FAQs

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

It presents the pre-creation moment: the Supreme Lord, after observing beings and cosmic conditions, consciously resolves the supreme method for re-initiating world-creation, including the manifestation of Brahmā—an idea closely tied to cyclical creation after pralaya.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma in cosmic order: just as the Lord reflects and acts for loka-sṛṣṭi (world-order), a king or householder is urged in the Matsya Purāṇa to act thoughtfully for loka-saṅgraha—upholding stability, protection, and welfare rather than acting impulsively.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; however, the verse provides the cosmological premise used in Vāstu-śāstra sections—sacred architecture and ritual are framed as human participation in sustaining the divinely ordered creation (loka-sṛṣṭi).