Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

एको बाहुसहस्रेण वगाहे स महार्णवम् करोत्युद्वृत्तवेगां तु नर्मदां प्रावृडुद्धताम् //

Transliteration

eko bāhusahasreṇa vagāhe sa mahārṇavam karotyudvṛttavegāṃ tu narmadāṃ prāvṛḍuddhatām //

Translation

With a single arm he can plunge into the great ocean; yet he makes the Narmadā—swollen and raging in the monsoon—surge with an even more tumultuous force.

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one (person)

• bāhu-sahasreṇa: with a thousand arms / with countless arms

• vagāhe: I/one plunges into, wades into

• saḥ: he

• mahārṇavam: the great ocean

• karoti: makes, causes

• udvṛtta-vegām: having an upturned/overflowing, violent speed (rushing current)

• tu: but/indeed

• narmadām: the river Narmadā

• prāvṛḍ-uddhatām: made fierce by the rainy season (monsoon-swollen).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the Narmadā’s extraordinary force (within the Matsya Purana’s sacred geography discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Narmadā
• Mahārṇava (Great Ocean)

Tags

• Narmada Mahatmya
• Tirtha
• Sacred Geography
• Monsoon
• River Praise

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses oceanic imagery to magnify the Narmadā’s power, portraying her monsoon current as surpassing even the vastness associated with the ocean.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of honoring tīrthas and sacred rivers—encouraging householders (and rulers who sponsor pilgrimages) to revere and approach such powerful waters with devotion and restraint.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the exaltation of the Narmadā as a potent tīrtha—implying heightened sanctity for river-side rites (snāna, tarpaṇa, and pilgrimage observances), especially during the monsoon when her force is emphasized.