Shloka 40

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

Devanagari script

युगान्ताभ्रसहस्रस्य आस्फोटस्त्वशनेरिव अहो बत विधेर्वीर्यं भार्गवो ऽयं यदाछिनत् //

Transliteration

yugāntābhrasahasrasya āsphoṭastvaśaneriva aho bata vidhervīryaṃ bhārgavo 'yaṃ yadāchinat //

Translation

Like the thunderclap of a lightning-bolt amid thousands of end-of-age clouds—astonishing indeed is the power of destiny, that this Bhārgava (Paraśurāma) cut it down.

Word by Word

• yugānta: end of an age

• abhra-sahasrasya: of thousands of clouds

• āsphoṭaḥ: a thunderous clap/crash

• tu: indeed

• aśaneḥ: of the thunderbolt/lightning

• iva: like

• aho bata: alas!/how wondrous!

• vidheḥ: of fate/ordainer (destiny)

• vīryam: power, potency

• bhārgavaḥ ayam: this Bhārgava (Paraśurāma)

• yat: that/which

• āchinat: cut off, severed, felled

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice) describing the event in the Purāṇic account

Entities Mentioned

• Bhārgava (Paraśurāma)
• Vidhi (Fate/Ordainer)

Tags

• Bhargava
• Paraśurāma
• Destiny
• Heroic Deeds
• Genealogy

FAQs

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

It uses pralaya-like imagery (“end-of-age clouds” and “thunderbolt”) as a simile to convey overwhelming force; it is not teaching cosmic dissolution here, but intensifying the description of a decisive, world-shaking act.

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

By highlighting the interplay of destiny (vidhi) and prowess (vīrya), it implies that rulers and householders should act decisively and uphold dharma even amid forces that seem irresistible—effort and righteous action remain meaningful within fate’s larger design.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is primarily heroic-poetic, employing storm and thunder imagery to magnify the event and its moral-cosmic weight.