Shloka 37

Matsya Purana — Inquiry into Taraka’s Slaying and the Prelude to Guha

Devanagari script

एकोनपञ्चाशत्कृता भागा वज्रेण ते सुताः दास्यामि तेषां स्थानानि दिवि दैवतपूजिते //

Transliteration

ekonapañcāśatkṛtā bhāgā vajreṇa te sutāḥ dāsyāmi teṣāṃ sthānāni divi daivatapūjite //

Translation

“Your sons, split by the thunderbolt (Vajra) into forty-nine portions—I shall assign to each of them their respective abodes in heaven, where they will be honored by the gods.”

Word by Word

• ekona-pañcāśat-kṛtāḥ: made into one-less-than-fifty (i.e., forty-nine)

• bhāgāḥ: portions/shares

• vajreṇa: by the vajra (thunderbolt)

• te: your

• sutāḥ: sons

• dāsyāmi: I shall give/assign

• teṣām: of them

• sthānāni: places/abodes/stations

• divi: in heaven

• daivata-pūjite: worshipped/honored by the deities

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual narrator-discourse frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Vajra
• Devas

Tags

• Cosmology
• Indra
• Celestial Abodes
• Mythic Etiology
• Deva Lore

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on cosmic administration—how beings, even when shattered by divine force (vajra), are allotted ordained stations in heaven.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic of order (ṛta/dharma): just as celestial roles are assigned without arbitrariness, a king or householder should distribute responsibilities, honors, and resources according to rightful share and merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the idea of “divi daivata-pūjite”—a heaven where beings attain honored stations, implying a theology of worship and divine recognition rather than architectural prescription.