Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Navagraha Sacrifice for Planetary Pacification and Prosperity

Devanagari script

देवपत्न्यो द्रुमा नागा दैत्याश्चाप्सरसां गणाः अस्त्राणि सर्वशस्त्राणि राजानो वाहनानि च //

Transliteration

devapatnyo drumā nāgā daityāścāpsarasāṃ gaṇāḥ astrāṇi sarvaśastrāṇi rājāno vāhanāni ca //

Translation

The wives of the gods, the trees, the Nāgas, the Daityas, and the hosts of Apsarases—along with missiles and every kind of weapon, kings, and their vehicles as well—(were all gathered/affected at that time).

Word by Word

• देवपत्न्यः: wives of the gods

• द्रुमाः: trees

• नागाः: Nāgas (serpent beings)

• दैत्याः: Daityas (demonic titans)

• च: and

• अप्सरसाम् गणाः: hosts/companies of Apsarases (celestial nymphs)

• अस्त्राणि: missiles/divine projectile weapons

• सर्व-शस्त्राणि: all weapons/arms

• राजानः: kings

• वाहनानि: vehicles/mounts/chariots

• च: and

• (समाहृत/समुपस्थित): gathered together/come to be present (implied by context).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual narration of pralaya conditions)

Entities Mentioned

• Devapatnīs (wives of the Devas)
• Drumas (trees)
• Nāgas
• Daityas
• Apsarases
• Astras
• Shastras
• Kings (Rājānaḥ)
• Vāhanas (vehicles/mounts)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic disorder
• Portents
• Puranic cosmology
• Matsya-avatara

FAQs

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

It portrays pralaya as a totalizing upheaval in which all classes of beings—divine, terrestrial, and subterranean—as well as royal power and even weaponry/technology are swept into a single overwhelming condition, indicating the leveling force of dissolution.

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

By explicitly including kings, vehicles, and weapons among what is overtaken, the verse implies the ethical lesson central to the Manu–Matsya dialogue: worldly sovereignty and martial capacity cannot override cosmic law, so a king’s duty is preparedness, dharma, and refuge in righteous guidance rather than pride in force.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or temple-rule detail appears; however, the comprehensive list (beings, arms, rulers, conveyances) functions as a ritual-cosmological inventory typical of Purāṇic pralaya sections, underscoring that rites and structures too are ultimately subordinate to cosmic cycles.