Shloka 7

Matsya Purana — Prologue to the Matsya Purana and the Manu–Pralaya Rescue Narrative

Devanagari script

कथं ससर्ज भगवंल् लोकनाथश्चराचरम् कस्माच्च भगवान् विष्णुर् मत्स्यरूपत्वम् आश्रितः //

Transliteration

kathaṃ sasarja bhagavaṃl lokanāthaścarācaram kasmācca bhagavān viṣṇur matsyarūpatvam āśritaḥ //

Translation

How did the Blessed Lord, the Protector of the worlds, create this entire universe of the moving and the unmoving? And for what reason did Lord Viṣṇu assume the form of a Fish (Matsya)?

Word by Word

• katham: how

• sasarja: created

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord

• lokanāthaḥ: Lord/Protector of the worlds

• carācaram: the moving and the unmoving (all beings)

• kasmāt: from what cause/why

• ca: and

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu

• matsya-rūpatvam: the state of having the Fish-form

• āśritaḥ: assumed/took refuge in (adopted)

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (inquiry to Lord Matsya/Viṣṇu)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Matsya
• Lokanatha (Lord of the worlds)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya Avatara
• Creation
• Cosmology
• Puranic Dialogue

FAQs

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

It frames the core cosmological inquiry: the Lord’s creation of all beings (moving and unmoving) and the motive behind the Matsya form—typically tied to the Deluge (Pralaya) narrative that follows.

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

By modeling Manu’s questioning posture, it emphasizes that rulers and householders should seek right knowledge of divine order (dharma and cosmic causality) before acting—an ideal of reflective governance and disciplined inquiry.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse functions as a thematic gateway, establishing the cosmological foundation that later supports Purāṇic ritual and temple/space-order teachings.