Shloka 16
Matsya Purana — Description of Pralaya: Drying
तेन रोधेन संछन्ना पयसां वर्षतो धरा एकार्णवजलीभूता सर्वसत्त्वविवर्जिता //
tena rodhena saṃchannā payasāṃ varṣato dharā ekārṇavajalībhūtā sarvasattvavivarjitā //
Covered by that obstruction, the earth—while the waters poured down like rain—became a single ocean of water, emptied of all living beings.
FAQs
It depicts the flood-stage of pralaya: the earth becomes “ekārṇava,” a single oceanic expanse, with life absent—an image of dissolution where the inhabited world is submerged and rendered uninhabitable.
Indirectly, it frames impermanence: kingship and household life must be guided by dharma and preparedness, since worldly stability can be overtaken by cosmic cycles; the Manu–Matsya narrative emphasizes foresight, protection of dependents, and adherence to divine instruction in crises.
No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; however, the verse’s “ekārṇava” flood imagery is often used contextually to justify elevated, well-drained site selection and water-management priorities in later Vastu discussions (a thematic bridge rather than an explicit injunction).