Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Planetary Chariots

Devanagari script

ततः केतुमतस्त्वश्वा अष्टौ ते वातरंहसः पलालधूमवर्णाभाः क्षामदेहाः सुदारुणाः //

Transliteration

tataḥ ketumatastvaśvā aṣṭau te vātaraṃhasaḥ palāladhūmavarṇābhāḥ kṣāmadehāḥ sudāruṇāḥ //

Translation

Then, from Ketumat there arose eight horses, swift as the wind—of the color of chaff-smoke, gaunt-bodied, and exceedingly dreadful.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• ketumataḥ: from Ketumat (a named source/region/person in the narrative)

• tu: indeed

• aśvāḥ: horses

• aṣṭau: eight

• te: those

• vātaraṃhasaḥ: wind-swift, moving with the speed of the wind

• palāla-dhūma-varṇa-ābhāḥ: having the hue/appearance of smoke from chaff (pale, ashen, smoky-colored)

• kṣāma-dehāḥ: with emaciated/gaunt bodies

• su-dāruṇāḥ: very terrible, exceedingly fierce/awful

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the signs described in the Matsya Purana’s pralaya-themed discourse

Entities Mentioned

• Ketumat
• Eight horses

Tags

• Pralaya
• Omens
• Portents
• Cosmic Dissolution
• Puranic Imagery

FAQs

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

It depicts a specific pralaya-omen: the sudden manifestation of eight wind-swift, ashen-colored, gaunt and terrifying horses—imagery signaling destabilization of the cosmic order and the approach of dissolution.

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

As a pralaya-portent passage, it functions as a warning motif: rulers and householders are urged (in the broader Purāṇic ethic) to uphold dharma, practice restraint, and prepare spiritually—since worldly security is shown to be fragile when cosmic upheaval approaches.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated in this verse; its ritual takeaway is indirect—ominous signs like these traditionally prompt expiatory rites, heightened worship, and protective observances described elsewhere in Purāṇic practice.