Shloka 71

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

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे जातः कालो वर्षसहस्रिकः तस्मिन्गते तु भगवान् काले कमलसंभवः तुष्टः प्रोवाच वज्राङ्गं तमागम्य जलाश्रयम् //

Transliteration

etasminnantare jātaḥ kālo varṣasahasrikaḥ tasmingate tu bhagavān kāle kamalasaṃbhavaḥ tuṣṭaḥ provāca vajrāṅgaṃ tamāgamya jalāśrayam //

Translation

In the meantime, a span of a thousand years passed. When that time had elapsed, the Blessed Lord—Brahmā, the Lotus-born—being pleased, approached Vajrāṅga at his watery refuge and spoke to him.

Word by Word

• etasmin antare: in the interim

• jātaḥ: arose/elapsed

• kālaḥ: time

• varṣa-sahasrikaḥ: consisting of a thousand years

• tasmin gate: when that had gone/when it had passed

• tu: then/indeed

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• kāle: at that time

• kamala-saṃbhavaḥ: the Lotus-born (Brahmā)

• tuṣṭaḥ: pleased/satisfied

• provāca: spoke/declared

• vajrāṅgam: to Vajrāṅga

• tam: to him

• āgamya: having approached

• jalāśrayam: one whose refuge is water / at the water-shelter

Speaker

• Narrator (Sūta-style Purāṇic narration), reporting Brahmā’s action

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmā (Kamalasaṃbhava)
• Vajrāṅga

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Time
• Brahmā
• Flood Aftermath
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

It emphasizes Purāṇic cosmic chronology: after a major upheaval associated with watery conditions, a defined interval of “a thousand years” passes before Brahmā intervenes, suggesting ordered restoration after dissolution rather than chaos.

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

Indirectly, it models dharmic patience and endurance: even in prolonged hardship (a long stretch of time), divine guidance arrives in due course—encouraging steadiness in duty until proper instruction or authority is received.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple rule is stated; the key ritual takeaway is the motif of “jalāśraya” (water-refuge), often used in Purāṇas to mark liminal, post-pralaya settings where renewed instruction and sacred order begin.