Shloka 8

Matsya Purana — Dialogue of Aṣṭaka and Yayāti: Exhaustion of Merit

Devanagari script

षष्टिं सहस्राणि पतन्ति व्योम्नि तथाशीतिं चैव तु वत्सराणाम् तान्वै नुदन्ते प्रपतन्तः प्रयातान् भीमा भौमा राक्षसास् तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राः //

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭiṃ sahasrāṇi patanti vyomni tathāśītiṃ caiva tu vatsarāṇām tānvai nudante prapatantaḥ prayātān bhīmā bhaumā rākṣasās tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrāḥ //

Translation

Sixty thousand fall through the sky—and likewise eighty more—over the course of years. As they plunge onward, dreadful earth-born Rākṣasas with sharp fangs strike them down and drive them away.

Word by Word

• ṣaṣṭim: sixty

• sahasrāṇi: thousands

• patanti: fall

• vyomni: in the sky

• tathā: likewise

• aśītīm: eighty

• ca eva: and indeed

• tu: moreover

• vatsarāṇām: of years / over years

• tān: them

• vai: indeed

• nudante: they strike/drive away

• prapatantaḥ: while falling/plunging

• prayātān: those who have gone forth / moving onward

• bhīmāḥ: terrible

• bhaumāḥ: earth-born/terrestrial

• rākṣasāḥ: rākṣasas (demonic beings)

• tīkṣṇa-daṃṣṭrāḥ: sharp-fanged

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within the Matsya–Manu dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Rākṣasas (Bhauma, sharp-fanged)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Portents
• Cosmic disorder
• Rakshasas
• Matsya-Manu dialogue

FAQs

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

It depicts a pralaya-like breakdown of cosmic order: beings are described as falling through the sky over long stretches of time, while fierce terrestrial Rākṣasas assault and drive them—an image of terror and instability characteristic of dissolution-portents.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a warning motif: when order collapses and violent forces prevail, dharma (right governance, restraint, protection of subjects, and ritual steadiness) is emphasized elsewhere in the Matsya Purana as the stabilizing counterforce.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is cautionary—such fearful omens are typically treated as signals for heightened protective rites (śānti/āpyāyana) in broader Purāṇic practice.