Shloka 47

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

Devanagari script

आरण्यैः सह संसृष्टा ग्राम्याश्च मृगपक्षिणः चक्रुः सुभैरवं तत्र महायुद्धमुपस्थितम् //

Transliteration

āraṇyaiḥ saha saṃsṛṣṭā grāmyāśca mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ cakruḥ subhairavaṃ tatra mahāyuddhamupasthitam //

Translation

There, the wild creatures mingled with the tame, and the beasts and birds together raised a dreadful clamour—an omen that a great battle had come upon that place.

Word by Word

• आरण्यैः (āraṇyaiḥ): with wild/forest-dwelling (creatures)

• सह (saha): together/along with

• संसृष्टाः (saṃsṛṣṭāḥ): mingled, intermingled

• ग्राम्याश्च (grāmyāś ca): and the domestic/tame (ones)

• मृगपक्षिणः (mṛga-pakṣiṇaḥ): beasts and birds

• चक्रुः (cakruḥ): they made/raised

• सुभैरवं (subhairavam): very terrible, dread-inducing noise

• तत्र (tatra): there, in that place

• महायुद्धम् (mahāyuddham): a great war/battle

• उपस्थितम् (upasthitam): arrived, was at hand, had come to pass.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the scene (third-person narration within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Forest creatures
• Domestic animals
• Beasts (mṛga)
• Birds (pakṣi)

Tags

• Omens
• War-portents
• Puranic narrative
• Nature signs
• Mahāyuddha

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic dissolution; it uses nature’s disorder—wild and domestic creatures mixing and crying out—as an omen-like sign that a great battle is imminent.

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

It implies attentiveness to public portents and unrest: a king should read signs of instability and prepare protection and order, while householders should avoid panic, secure dependents, and follow prudent conduct in times of approaching conflict.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the significance is diagnostic—unusual animal behavior is treated as a narrative ‘nimitta’ (portent) that signals impending upheaval, which in other contexts would prompt protective rites or precautionary measures.