Shloka 28

Matsya Purana — Design and Splendour of Tripura: Maya’s Threefold Moving Fortress

Devanagari script

तदासुरैर्दर्पितवैरिमर्दनैर् जनार्दनैः शैलकरीन्द्रसंनिभैः बभूव पूर्णं त्रिपुरं तथा पुरा यथाम्बरं भूरिजलैर् जलप्रदैः //

Transliteration

tadāsurairdarpitavairimardanair janārdanaiḥ śailakarīndrasaṃnibhaiḥ babhūva pūrṇaṃ tripuraṃ tathā purā yathāmbaraṃ bhūrijalair jalapradaiḥ //

Translation

Then Tripura became completely filled, as in former times—by those proud Asuras, crushers of their foes, mighty as mountains and like lordly elephants—just as the sky is filled by rain-bearing clouds laden with abundant waters.

Word by Word

• tadā: then

• asuraiḥ: by the Asuras

• darpita: proud, arrogant

• vairi-mardanaiḥ: crushing/slaying enemies

• janārdanaiḥ: by the mighty ones (lit. ‘Janārdanas’, heroic warriors)

• śaila-karīndra-saṃnibhaiḥ: comparable to mountains and lordly elephants

• babhūva: became

• pūrṇam: full, completely filled

• tripuram: Tripura (the triple city/fortress)

• tathā: thus/so

• purā: formerly, in earlier times

• yathā: just as

• ambaram: the sky

• bhūri-jalaiḥ: with abundant waters

• jala-pradaiḥ: water-giving (rain-bearing) [clouds].

Speaker

• Suta (Pauranic narrator) describing the Tripura episode (speaker attribution inferred from typical Matsya Purana narration style in battle-episodes).

Entities Mentioned

• Asuras
• Tripura
• Janārdana (epithet used for mighty warriors / Vishnu-like might)

Tags

• Tripura
• Asuras
• Mythic warfare
• Puranic cosmology
• Epic simile

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses a cosmological image—sky filled by rain clouds—to poetically convey how Tripura became densely occupied by powerful Asuras.

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

Indirectly, it warns against darpa (arrogance) and hostile conquest; the Purana’s ethical frame treats pride-driven aggression as a cause of downfall, contrasting with righteous kingship grounded in dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it highlights Tripura as a fortified ‘city/stronghold’ concept (tripura) being ‘filled’ with forces—useful for understanding Puranic imagery of fortified settlements, though no specific Vastu rule is stated in this verse.