Shloka 26

Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution

Devanagari script

अविज्ञेयमविज्ञातं जगत् स्थास्नु चरिष्णु च ततः स्वयम्भूर् अव्यक्तः प्रभवः पुण्यकर्मणाम् //

Transliteration

avijñeyamavijñātaṃ jagat sthāsnu cariṣṇu ca tataḥ svayambhūr avyaktaḥ prabhavaḥ puṇyakarmaṇām //

Translation

From the Unknowable, the unknown principle, this world arises—both the immovable and the moving. From it is born the Self-existent (Svayambhū), the Unmanifest (Avyakta), the source from which meritorious actions and their fruits proceed.

Word by Word

avijñeyamunknowable

avijñātamunknown/unperceived

jagatthe world/universe

sthāsnustationary/immovable

cariṣṇumoving/mobile

caand

tataḥfrom that/from there

svayambhūḥthe self-born/self-existent (Brahmā/Hiraṇyagarbha)

avyaktaḥthe unmanifest (primordial principle)

prabhavaḥorigin/source

puṇya-karmaṇāmof meritorious deeds (and their results)

Speaker

Lord Matsya (Vishnu), instructing Vaivasvata Manu on cosmology

Entities Mentioned

SvayambhuAvyakta

FAQs

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

It frames creation (sarga) as emerging from an unmanifest, unknowable source (avyakta), from which the moving and unmoving cosmos unfolds—implying that even after dissolution, manifestation can re-emerge from that same unmanifest ground.

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

By calling the unmanifest source the basis from which “puṇya-karmas” proceed, it reinforces moral causality: kings and householders should uphold dharma and perform meritorious acts, trusting that righteous action is rooted in—and aligned with—the cosmic order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated here; the takeaway is foundational: rituals and sacred architecture are traditionally grounded in cosmology—linking visible forms (manifest) back to the avyakta principle they symbolically represent.