Shloka 30

Matsya Purana — Lineage of Yayāti through Yadu and the Deeds of Kārtavīrya Arjuna

Devanagari script

एष वेगं समुद्रस्य प्रावृट्काले भजेत वै क्रीडन्नेव सुखोद्भिन्नः प्रतिस्रोतो महीपतिः //

Transliteration

eṣa vegaṃ samudrasya prāvṛṭkāle bhajeta vai krīḍanneva sukhodbhinnaḥ pratisroto mahīpatiḥ //

Translation

In the season of the rains (the monsoon), the ocean indeed takes on this surge: as though playing, it swells up in delight, and, O king, its currents run back against their usual course.

Word by Word

• eṣaḥ: this

• vegam: surge/impetus/force

• samudrasya: of the ocean

• prāvṛṭ-kāle: at the time of the rainy season/monsoon

• bhajeta: partakes in/assumes/undergoes

• vai: indeed

• krīḍan: playing/sporting

• eva: as if/indeed

• sukha-udbhinnaḥ: risen/swollen from delight (lit. ‘sprung up with pleasure’)

• pratisrotaḥ: counter-current/flowing back/against the stream

• mahīpatiḥ: O lord of the earth/king

Speaker

• Likely Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (Mahīpati)

Entities Mentioned

• Samudra (Ocean)
• Prāvṛṭ (Monsoon)
• Mahīpati (King)

Tags

• Monsoon
• Natural omens
• Ocean currents
• Seasonal description
• Purana cosmography

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe Pralaya; rather, it notes a seasonal (monsoon) intensification of the ocean, whose swelling and counter-currents can be read as a natural sign of turbulent waters—imagery that later Puranic narratives also use when speaking of great floods.

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

By addressing the listener as “mahīpati,” it frames practical awareness: a ruler (and by extension householders) should heed seasonal changes—especially monsoon-driven sea surges and reverse currents—for safety, travel, coastal planning, and protection of settlements.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it implies caution for coastal construction and timing: monsoon conditions can reverse currents and increase wave-force, so site selection, drainage, and sea-facing protections should account for prāvṛṭ-season surges (a common concern in Matsya Purana–style Vastu guidance).