Shloka 8

Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution

Devanagari script

संवर्तो भीमनादश्च द्रोणश्चण्डो बलाहकः विद्युत्पताकः शोणस्तु सप्तैते लयवारिदाः //

Transliteration

saṃvarto bhīmanādaśca droṇaścaṇḍo balāhakaḥ vidyutpatākaḥ śoṇastu saptaite layavāridāḥ //

Translation

Saṃvarta, Bhīmanāda, Droṇa, Caṇḍa, Balāhaka, Vidyutpatāka, and Śoṇa—these seven are the waters, the rain-bearing clouds of dissolution, who pour forth the deluge at the time of pralaya, the cosmic withdrawal.

Word by Word

• saṃvartaḥ: Saṃvarta (name of a pralaya-cloud)

• bhīmanādaḥ: Bhīmanāda, ‘terrible-roaring’ (name of a cloud)

• droṇaḥ: Droṇa (name of a cloud

• caṇḍaḥ: Caṇḍa, ‘fierce’ (name of a cloud)

• balāhakaḥ: Balāhaka, ‘cloud’ (here a specific named cloud)

• vidyutpatākaḥ: Vidyutpatāka, ‘having lightning as its banner’ (name of a cloud)

• śoṇaḥ: Śoṇa, ‘reddish’ (name of a cloud)

• sapta: seven

• ete: these

• laya: dissolution, pralaya

• vāridāḥ: water-givers, rain-clouds

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution for early Pralaya chapters)

Entities Mentioned

• Saṃvarta
• Bhīmanāda
• Droṇa
• Caṇḍa
• Balāhaka
• Vidyutpatāka
• Śoṇa
• Pralaya

Tags

• Pralaya
• Deluge
• Cosmology
• Matsya-Avatara
• Puranic-Clouds

FAQs

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

It identifies seven specific “dissolution-clouds” (laya-vāridāḥ) that unleash the pralaya rains, portraying cosmic dissolution as a structured, named set of forces rather than a random catastrophe.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of preparedness and humility: rulers and householders should recognize impermanence and align life with dharma, since even the world-order can be withdrawn through pralaya.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is cosmological. Its practical takeaway is contextual—temples/rites are framed within cyclical time, where pralaya marks the limits of worldly constructions.