Shloka 36

Matsya Purana — Mahāgaurī’s Entry

Devanagari script

तेनापूर्यत तान्देवांस् तत्तत्कायविभेदतः विपाट्य जठरं तेषां वीर्यं माहेश्वरं ततः //

Transliteration

tenāpūryata tāndevāṃs tattatkāyavibhedataḥ vipāṭya jaṭharaṃ teṣāṃ vīryaṃ māheśvaraṃ tataḥ //

Translation

By that (power), those Devas were filled—each according to the division of his own body; then, splitting open their bellies, the Maheshvara-born potency (vīrya) issued forth from them.

Word by Word

• tena: by that (power/agency)

• āpūryata: were filled, were made full

• tān devān: those gods (Devas)

• tattat-kāya-vibhedataḥ: according to the particular differentiation of each body

• vipāṭya: splitting open, tearing

• jaṭharam: the belly/abdomen

• teṣām: of them

• vīryam: potency, seed-energy, virile power

• māheśvaram: belonging to Maheśvara (Śiva), Śaiva

• tataḥ: then, thereafter

• (niḥsṛtam implied): came forth/issued out

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice relaying the Purāṇic account; dialogue context ultimately tied to Matsya–Manu teaching frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Devas
• Maheśvara (Śiva)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Devas
• Śaiva potency
• Cosmic physiology
• Puranic myth

FAQs

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

It uses a stark mythic physiology—Devas being “filled” with a force and then releasing it—to depict cosmic power as something that can be infused, redistributed, and expelled, a common Purāṇic way of describing transformative phases around dissolution and re-manifestation.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic that power (vīrya/śakti) must be properly contained and directed according to one’s nature (kāya-vibheda). In the wider Matsya Purāṇa, this principle parallels kingly self-restraint and disciplined stewardship of strength rather than uncontrolled force.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-building rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is conceptual—divine “potency” is treated as a transferable sacred substance, a notion that underlies many Purāṇic ritual imaginations of consecration, infusion (āveśa), and controlled release.