Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Maya’s Nectar-Reservoir in Tripura and the Revival of the Slain in the Tripur...

Devanagari script

इति संचिन्त्य बलवान् मयो मायाविनां वरः मायया ससृजे वापीं रम्भामिव पितामहः //

Transliteration

iti saṃcintya balavān mayo māyāvināṃ varaḥ māyayā sasṛje vāpīṃ rambhāmiva pitāmahaḥ //

Translation

Thus having reflected, the mighty Maya—foremost among wielders of illusion—by his own wondrous art created a stepwell/reservoir, as though the Grandsire (Brahmā) had fashioned Rambhā herself.

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• saṃcintya: having reflected/considered

• balavān: mighty, powerful

• mayaḥ: Maya (the famed architect/demon artisan)

• māyāvinām: of those possessing māyā/illusion

• varaḥ: the best, foremost

• māyayā: by māyā, by magical/creative power

• sasṛje: he created, produced

• vāpīm: a vāpī (stepwell, reservoir, water-tank)

• rambhām iva: like Rambhā (the celestial apsaras, emblem of beauty)

• pitāmahaḥ: the Grandsire, Brahmā.

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta relating the account within the Vāstu/architecture context)

Entities Mentioned

• Maya
• Brahma (Pitāmaha)
• Rambhā

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Waterworks
• Maya
• Sacred Architecture
• Reservoir (Vapi)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it highlights creative power (māyā/skill) in constructing a vāpī (reservoir), stressing sacred engineering rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

By praising the deliberate creation of a water-reservoir, it aligns with the Purāṇic ideal that rulers and householders support public welfare and ritual cleanliness through water infrastructure (tanks, wells, stepwells).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key technical term is vāpī (stepwell/reservoir): in Vāstuvidyā, such waterworks are meritorious, beautifying, and essential for settlement planning, ritual bathing, and sustaining temple/household needs.