Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Description of Pralaya: Drying

Devanagari script

संशोषमात्मना कृत्वा समुद्रानपि देहिनः दग्ध्वा संप्लाव्य च तथा स्वपित्येकः सनातनः //

Transliteration

saṃśoṣamātmanā kṛtvā samudrānapi dehinaḥ dagdhvā saṃplāvya ca tathā svapityekaḥ sanātanaḥ //

Translation

Having, by his own power, dried up even the oceans, and then burning the embodied beings and again inundating (the worlds), the One Eternal Being alone lies down in cosmic sleep.

Word by Word

• संशोषम् (saṃśoṣam): drying up, desiccation

• आत्मना (ātmanā): by himself, through his own power

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done

• समुद्रान् (samudrān): oceans

• अपि (api): even

• देहिनः (dehinaḥ): embodied beings, living creatures

• दग्ध्वा (dagdhvā): having burned, having scorched

• संप्लाव्य (saṃplāvya): having flooded, having submerged

• च (ca): and

• तथा (tathā): likewise, then

• स्वपिति (svapiti): sleeps, reposes

• एकः (ekaḥ): the One alone

• सनातनः (sanātanaḥ): eternal, primeval.

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s pralaya doctrine; ultimately describing Lord Vishnu/Narayana as the Eternal One)

Entities Mentioned

• Sanatana (the Eternal One)
• Samudra (Oceans)
• Pralaya (Cosmic Dissolution)

Tags

• Pralaya
• CosmicSleep
• Vishnu
• Dissolution
• PuranaDoctrine

FAQs

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

It outlines pralaya as a sequence of desiccation (even the oceans), burning of embodied life, and a final inundation, after which the Eternal One (Vishnu/Narayana) rests in cosmic sleep (yoganidra) before renewal.

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

By stressing the inevitability of dissolution for all embodied beings, it supports the Matsya Purana’s ethical thrust: rulers and householders should govern and live with detachment, perform dharma and charity, and prioritize enduring spiritual merit over temporary worldly security.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or temple-building rule is stated; ritually, the verse functions as a pralaya contemplation that underlines the need for lasting religious acts (yajña, dāna, vrata) rather than reliance on impermanent material constructions.