Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution

Devanagari script

काले यथोक्ते संजाते वासुदेवमुखोद्गते शृङ्गी प्रादुर्बभूवाथ मत्स्यरूपी जनार्दनः //

Transliteration

kāle yathokte saṃjāte vāsudevamukhodgate śṛṅgī prādurbabhūvātha matsyarūpī janārdanaḥ //

Translation

When the previously foretold time arrived—just as it had been spoken from Vāsudeva’s own mouth—Janārdana then manifested, taking the form of a fish and bearing a horn.

Word by Word

• kāle: at the time

• yathokte: as previously stated/foretold

• saṃjāte: having come to pass/arrived

• vāsudeva-mukha-udgate: uttered from the mouth of Vāsudeva (Vishnu)

• śṛṅgī: horned, possessing a horn

• prādurbabhūva: manifested, appeared

• atha: then

• matsya-rūpī: having the form of a fish

• janārdanaḥ: Janārdana (Vishnu), remover of afflictions

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the event (Matsya Avatāra) within the Manu–Matsya narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Vāsudeva
• Janārdana
• Matsya (Fish Incarnation of Vishnu)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya-Avatara
• Divine Manifestation
• Iconography
• Manu Narrative

FAQs

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

It signals the exact, foretold timing of the divine intervention preceding the Flood narrative: Vishnu manifests as Matsya precisely when the prophesied time arrives, indicating pralaya unfolds under cosmic order rather than randomness.

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

Indirectly, it emphasizes obedience to dharmic instruction and preparedness: since the Lord’s words prove true “in due time,” rulers and householders are urged to heed authoritative counsel (āpta-vākya) and act before crisis—an ethic central to the Manu episode.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its practical takeaway is iconographic—Matsya is described as “horned” (śṛṅgī), a feature often linked in the wider flood account to fastening or guiding the vessel, informing how Matsya may be visualized in Purāṇic imagery.