Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

स विषाणाभ्यां त्रैलोक्यं रथमेव महारथः प्रगृह्योद्वहते सज्जं कुलं कुलवहो यथा //

Transliteration

sa viṣāṇābhyāṃ trailokyaṃ rathameva mahārathaḥ pragṛhyodvahate sajjaṃ kulaṃ kulavaho yathā //

Translation

Grasping it with his horns, that great chariot-warrior bore the three worlds as though they were a chariot—like a mighty charioteer lifting and carrying a well-yoked car, or like one who upholds a lineage (kula).

Word by Word

• saḥ: he (Lord Matsya)

• viṣāṇābhyām: with (his) two horns

• trailokyam: the three worlds

• ratham eva: just like a chariot

• mahā-rathaḥ: a great charioteer / great warrior (metaphor for supreme strength)

• pragṛhya: having firmly seized / grasped

• udvahate: carries, bears, upholds

• sajjam: ready, prepared, well-yoked (fit for bearing)

• kulam: a lineage, family, clan (also ‘a house’ or ‘community’ by extension)

• kula-vahaḥ: one who upholds/carries the lineage (protector of the family line)

• yathā: just as, like.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing Lord Matsya’s act (within the Matsya–Manu discourse frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Trailokya (three worlds)
• Lord Matsya (implied by horns and deluge context)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya Avatara
• Cosmic Support
• Protection
• Puranic Metaphor

FAQs

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

It presents Pralaya as a time when the cosmos needs divine support: Lord Matsya is portrayed as physically upholding the three worlds, emphasizing preservation amid dissolution.

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

By comparing Matsya’s sustaining power to a ‘kula-vaha’ (upholder of a lineage), it idealizes the king/householder as one who bears responsibility—protecting dependents, maintaining continuity, and keeping the social ‘yoke’ well-ordered.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the key takeaway is symbolic—‘support’ and ‘proper yoking’ function as metaphors for correct alignment and stability, ideas later echoed in Vastu principles of balance and load-bearing order.