Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Nārāyaṇa as Haṃsa in the Cosmic Ocean: Vedic Yajña-Puruṣa and Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vi...

Devanagari script

निष्क्रम्याप्यस्य वदनाद् एकार्णवमथो जगत् सर्वतस्तमसाच्छन्नं मार्कण्डेयो ऽन्ववैक्षत //

Transliteration

niṣkramyāpyasya vadanād ekārṇavamatho jagat sarvatastamasācchannaṃ mārkaṇḍeyo 'nvavaikṣata //

Translation

Even after emerging from His mouth, Mārkaṇḍeya beheld the world as a single ocean (ekārṇava), veiled on every side by darkness.

Word by Word

• niṣkramya api: even after coming out/emerging

• asya: of him/His

• vadanāt: from the mouth

• ekārṇavam: a single ocean, the one flood-ocean

• atho: then/indeed

• jagat: the world

• sarvataḥ: on all sides/everywhere

• tamasā: by darkness

• ācchannam: covered, enveloped

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: the sage Markandeya

• anvavaikṣata: he observed, he beheld carefully

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing Mārkaṇḍeya’s experience within the Pralaya vision)

Entities Mentioned

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Ekārṇava (cosmic ocean of dissolution)
• The Lord (implied by 'His mouth')

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Deluge
• Markandeya
• Darkness
• Vishnu-Lore

FAQs

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

It portrays pralaya as an ekārṇava—one boundless flood-ocean—where the manifested world is no longer differentiated and is obscured by pervasive darkness.

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

Indirectly, it underscores impermanence: worldly order can be withdrawn in pralaya, so kings and householders should ground their duties (dharma, charity, restraint) in lasting spiritual aims rather than temporary power or possessions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is symbolic—ritual and sacred architecture aim to establish light, order, and orientation against the cosmic imagery of darkness and dissolution.