Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Maya’s War-Counsel to the Danavas and the Moonlit Revels in Tripura

Devanagari script

चन्द्रांशुभिर्भासमानम् अन्तर्दीपैः सुदीपितम् उपद्रवैः कुलमिव पीयते त्रिपुरे तमः //

Transliteration

candrāṃśubhirbhāsamānam antardīpaiḥ sudīpitam upadravaiḥ kulamiva pīyate tripure tamaḥ //

Translation

In Tripurī, the darkness is as though “drunk up”: the city shines with moonbeams and is brightly lit by lamps within, just as a noble family is consumed by calamities.

Word by Word

• चन्द्रांशुभिः: by the rays of the moon

• भासमानम्: shining, radiant

• अन्तर्दीपैः: by inner lamps/lamps within (houses/streets)

• सुदीपितम्: well-illumined, brightly lit

• उपद्रवैः: by misfortunes, calamities

• कुलम्: a family/lineage

• इव: as if, like

• पीयते: is drunk up, is consumed

• त्रिपुरे: in Tripurī (Tripura-city)

• तमः: darkness

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the Matsya Purana’s descriptive narrator (context: city-description passage; not a direct Matsya–Manu dialogue line)

Entities Mentioned

• Tripurī (Tripura-city)
• Moon (Candra)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Nagara (city)
• Illumination
• Poetic simile
• Urban description

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead, it uses a vivid simile—darkness being ‘drunk up’—to emphasize urban radiance, contrasting light’s victory over darkness.

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

Implied civic ethics: a well-governed city (and well-run household) is properly maintained and illuminated; the cautionary simile about a family ‘consumed by calamities’ also hints that negligence and disorder invite decline.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it highlights planned illumination—‘inner lamps’—as a marker of a prosperous settlement, aligning with Vastu/Nagara ideals of safety, visibility, and auspicious brightness.