Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

मेदिन्यां कम्पमानायां दैत्येन्द्रेण महात्मना महीधरा नागगणा निपेतुरमितौजसः //

Transliteration

medinyāṃ kampamānāyāṃ daityendreṇa mahātmanā mahīdharā nāgagaṇā nipeturamitaujasaḥ //

Translation

As the Earth shook under the onslaught of the great-souled lord of the Daityas, mighty mountain-bearers and hosts of Nāgas, of immeasurable strength, fell down.

Word by Word

• मेदिन्यां (medinyām): on the Earth

• कम्पमानायां (kampamānāyām): while (she was) trembling/shaking

• दैत्येन्द्रेण (daityendreṇa): by the lord of the Daityas (chief among demons)

• महात्मना (mahātmanā): great-souled, mighty

• महीधराः (mahīdharāḥ): mountain-bearers, mountains (lit. ‘holders of the earth’)

• नागगणाः (nāgagaṇāḥ): hosts/multitudes of Nāgas (serpent beings)

• निपेतुः (nipetuḥ): fell down, collapsed

• अमितौजसः (amitaujasaḥ): of immeasurable vigor/energy, exceedingly powerful

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice recounting the episode within the Matsya Purana’s discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Daityendra (chief of the Daityas)
• Medinī (Earth)
• Mahīdharas (mountains)
• Nāga-gaṇas (Nāga hosts)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic upheaval
• Daitya-Deva conflict
• Earthquake imagery
• Mythic geography

FAQs

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

It uses Pralaya-like imagery—Earth trembling and the collapse of mountains and Nāga hosts—to convey a cosmic-scale disturbance caused by a Daitya overlord, echoing the Purāṇic theme that adharma-driven power destabilizes the world.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a warning motif: when destructive, unrighteous force dominates (symbolized by the Daitya chief), even the foundations of the world ‘shake.’ In Matsya Purana ethics, a ruler’s dharma is to prevent such destabilization by protecting order (ṛta/dharma) and restraining violent excess.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated, but the verse foregrounds seismic instability (Earth trembling, mountains collapsing), which later Vāstu-oriented readings treat as a cautionary symbol for choosing stable land and ensuring firm foundations in sacred and civic construction.