Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

*श्रीभगवानुवाच अहं नारायणो ब्रह्मन् सर्वभूतविनाशनः अहं सहस्रशीर्षाख्यो यः पदैरभिसंज्ञितः //

Transliteration

*śrībhagavānuvāca ahaṃ nārāyaṇo brahman sarvabhūtavināśanaḥ ahaṃ sahasraśīrṣākhyo yaḥ padairabhisaṃjñitaḥ //

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: “O Brahman, I am Nārāyaṇa, the One who brings about the dissolution of all beings. I am He who is called ‘the Thousand-Headed One’, renowned in the sacred verses (padas).”

Word by Word

• śrī-bhagavān uvāca: the Blessed Lord said

• ahaṃ: I

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa (Vishnu, the Supreme Lord)

• brahman: O Brahman/O sage

• sarva-bhūta-vināśanaḥ: the destroyer/dissolver of all beings

• ahaṃ: I

• sahasra-śīrṣākhyaḥ: named/called ‘thousand-headed’ (alluding to the cosmic Person)

• yaḥ: who

• padaiḥ: by verses/metrical lines/holy utterances

• abhisaṃjñitaḥ: is expressly designated/renowned.

Speaker

• Śrī Bhagavān (Lord Vishnu/Matsya in discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Narayana
• Sahasraśīrṣa (Cosmic Person)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Vishnu-Supremacy
• Cosmic-Purusha
• Puranic-Theology
• Matsya-Dialogue

FAQs

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

It identifies Nārāyaṇa as the cosmic power responsible for dissolution—Pralaya is presented as an act under the Supreme Lord’s sovereignty, not a random catastrophe.

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

By stressing a single supreme ruler of cosmic order, it implies that kings and householders should govern and live in alignment with dharma, recognizing that worldly power is subordinate to divine law and impermanence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple rule is stated; ritually, the verse supports Vishnu/Nārāyaṇa-centered recitation and contemplation (pada/vedic-verse remembrance) as a theological basis for worship and iconographic identification with the cosmic Purusha.