Shloka 65

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

Devanagari script

ततो भुजंगरूपेण बद्ध्वा च चरणद्वयम् अपाकर्षत्ततो दूरं भ्रमंस्तस्या महीमिमाम् //

Transliteration

tato bhujaṃgarūpeṇa baddhvā ca caraṇadvayam apākarṣattato dūraṃ bhramaṃstasyā mahīmimām //

Translation

Then, taking the form of a serpent, he bound her two feet; and, circling about, he dragged this earth of hers far away.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• bhujaṅga-rūpeṇa: in the form of a serpent

• baddhvā: having bound/tied

• ca: and

• caraṇa-dvayam: the pair of feet

• apākarṣat: dragged/pulled away

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• dūram: far away

• bhraman: घूमते हुए / moving in circles

• tasyāḥ: of her/of that (feminine, referring to the earth or a feminine entity)

• mahīm: the earth

• imām: this

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the episode within the Matsya Purana’s deluge-cycle narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Bhujanga (serpent-form)
• Mahī (Earth)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya Avatara
• Cosmic Rescue
• Puranic Narrative
• Mythic Motif

FAQs

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

It depicts a forceful cosmic intervention during a destabilized world-condition: the earth (mahī) is physically moved/dragged, suggesting a mythic image of upheaval and re-ordering associated with pralaya-era turbulence.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces a core Matsya Purana ethic: when order is threatened, the righteous agent must act decisively to restore stability—an archetype for kingship (protection and re-establishment of dharma), though no direct household rule is stated here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure appears in this verse; its relevance is thematic—cosmic “re-centering” and stabilization, ideas later echoed in Vāstu thought as establishing firm order, boundaries, and orientation.