Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Description of Pralaya: Drying

Devanagari script

भस्मीकृत्य ततः सर्वांल् लोकांल्लोकगुरुर्हरिः भूयो निर्वापयामास युगान्तेन च कर्मणा //

Transliteration

bhasmīkṛtya tataḥ sarvāṃl lokāṃllokagururhariḥ bhūyo nirvāpayāmāsa yugāntena ca karmaṇā //

Translation

Having then reduced all the worlds to ashes, Hari—the Teacher of the worlds—again caused them to be quenched and stilled, by the act that belongs to the end of an age (yuga).

Word by Word

• भस्मीकृत्य (bhasmīkṛtya): having reduced to ash

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereafter

• सर्वान् (sarvān): all

• लोकान् (lokān): the worlds/realms

• लोकगुरुः (lokaguruḥ): the preceptor/teacher of the worlds

• हरिः (hariḥ): Hari (Vishnu)

• भूयः (bhūyaḥ): again

• निर्वापयामास (nirvāpayāmāsa): caused to be extinguished/quenched, made to subside

• युगान्तेन (yugāntena): by/at the end of a yuga, at the age’s end

• च (ca): and

• कर्मणा (karmaṇā): by an act/deed, by the operative cosmic action.

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s pralaya account, within the broader Matsya–Manu discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Hari (Vishnu)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Yuganta
• Cosmic Fire
• Dissolution
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It depicts pralaya as a twofold cosmic process: the worlds are first burned to ash and then “quenched” into stillness—an ordered, yuga-end operation governed by Hari.

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

By presenting Hari as lokaguru who regulates destruction and restoration, it implies that rulers and householders should act with measured restraint—ending harmful actions and restoring order (dharma) rather than acting from chaos or excess.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or temple-rule detail appears; the ritual takeaway is symbolic—“quelling” after “burning” mirrors purification followed by pacification (śānti), a common sequence in expiatory and concluding rites.