Shloka 34

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

अथावलेपं तं ज्ञात्वा तस्याः क्रुद्धस्तु शंकरः तिरोभावयितुं बुद्धिर् आसीदङ्गेषु तां नदीम् //

Transliteration

athāvalepaṃ taṃ jñātvā tasyāḥ kruddhastu śaṃkaraḥ tirobhāvayituṃ buddhir āsīdaṅgeṣu tāṃ nadīm //

Translation

Then, having understood her arrogance, Śaṅkara became enraged; and the thought arose in him to make that river disappear within his own limbs.

Word by Word

• atha: then

• avalepam: arrogance, pride

• tam: that

• jñātvā: having known/understood

• tasyāḥ: of her

• kruddhaḥ: enraged

• tu: indeed

• śaṅkaraḥ: Śaṅkara (Śiva)

• tirobhāvayitum: to cause to vanish/conceal

• buddhiḥ: intention, resolve, thought

• āsīt: arose/was

• aṅgeṣu: in (his) limbs/members

• tām: that

• nadīm: river

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating a Purāṇic episode to the sages, in the standard Matsya Purāṇa narrative frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Nadī (a river goddess/personified river)

Tags

• Tirtha
• River-legend
• Śiva
• Divine wrath
• Sacred geography

FAQs

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

This verse is not a Pralaya (cosmic dissolution) teaching; it depicts a localized, mythic act of concealment (tirobhāva)—Śiva’s power to withdraw or hide a manifest entity, here a personified river.

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

Ethically, it warns against avalepa (arrogance). In Purāṇic dharma, pride invites corrective restraint by higher authority; kings and householders are repeatedly advised to cultivate humility and self-control to avoid destructive consequences.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple-building rule appears here; its ritual takeaway is tirtha-theology—sacred waters are governed by divine order, and their visibility/flow can be framed as a boon or restraint in pilgrimage narratives.