Shloka 78

Matsya Purana — Hiranyakashipu’s Boons

Devanagari script

तमप्रतिमकर्माणं शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः बलिर्विरोचनस्तत्र नरकः पृथिवीसुतः //

Transliteration

tamapratimakarmāṇaṃ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ balirvirocanastatra narakaḥ pṛthivīsutaḥ //

Translation

There (in that lineage) were Bali, Virocana, and Naraka—the son of the Earth—who performed deeds of like kind, in their hundreds and even thousands.

Word by Word

• tama-pratima-karmāṇam: performing deeds similar in nature (of the same pattern)

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds

• atha: and then/also

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands

• baliḥ: Bali (the Daitya king)

• virocanaḥ: Virocana (son of Prahlāda)

• tatra: there/in that context (in that line)

• narakaḥ: Naraka (Narakāsura)

• pṛthivī-sutaḥ: Earth-born, son of Pṛthivī (Bhūmi).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) relaying the Purāṇic genealogy (within the Matsya Purana’s discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Bali
• Virocana
• Naraka (Pṛthivīsuta/Bhauma)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Daityas
• Ancient Indian genealogy
• Puranic lineages

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to a genealogical passage naming prominent figures (Bali, Virocana, Naraka) and characterizing their repeated, similar kinds of deeds.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a lineage-marker: by cataloging rulers and famed beings, the Matsya Purana frames moral and political examples through ancestry—useful for comparing kingly conduct across dynasties, even when the verse itself is not prescriptive.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is a brief genealogical identification within the Matsya Purana’s dynasty narrative.