Shloka 25

Matsya Purana — Narasimha’s Victory over Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Catalogue of Apocalyptic Omens

Devanagari script

हते ऽश्मवर्षे तुमुले जलवर्षे च शोषिते सो ऽसृजद्दानवो मायाम् अग्निवायुसमीरिताम् //

Transliteration

hate 'śmavarṣe tumule jalavarṣe ca śoṣite so 'sṛjaddānavo māyām agnivāyusamīritām //

Translation

When the fierce hail of stones had been destroyed and the tumultuous rain of water had been dried up, that Dānava then unleashed an illusion (māyā), driven onward by fire and wind.

Word by Word

• hate: when (it was) slain/destroyed

• aśma-varṣe: in the rain of stones (stone-shower)

• tumule: tumultuous, dreadful

• jala-varṣe: in the rain of water

• ca: and

• śoṣite: when dried up/evaporated

• saḥ: he

• asṛjat: released, created, projected

• dānavaḥ: the Dānava (demon of the Danu-line)

• māyām: illusion, magical deception

• agni-vāyu-samīritām: propelled/impelled by fire and wind

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the battle episode (likely within a broader dialogue frame of the Purāṇa)

Entities Mentioned

• Dānava
• Māyā
• Agni
• Vāyu

Tags

• Māyā
• Battle
• Dānava
• Agni
• Vāyu

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses elemental forces (water dried up; fire and wind driving māyā) as battle imagery, showing how cosmic elements are weaponized rather than dissolving the world.

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

Indirectly, it highlights discernment (viveka) against deception: just as warriors must counter māyā in battle, kings and householders are urged in Purāṇic ethics to recognize illusion, keep steadiness, and respond with appropriate means rather than panic.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-rule is stated; the verse is significant ritually only as a reminder of Agni and Vāyu as powerful elemental principles often invoked in rites, here portrayed as forces that can propel or intensify magical effects.