Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Questions on Padmanabha’s Lotus-Creation in the Padma Mahakalpa; Prelude to N...

Devanagari script

नष्टानिलानले लोके नष्टाकाशमहीतले केवलं गह्वरीभूते महाभूतविपर्यये //

Transliteration

naṣṭānilānale loke naṣṭākāśamahītale kevalaṃ gahvarībhūte mahābhūtaviparyaye //

Translation

When, in the world, wind and fire have perished, and when ether and the earth’s surface have also vanished—then, amid this reversal of the great elements, only a yawning, cavern-like void remains.

Word by Word

• naṣṭa: destroyed, vanished

• anila: wind

• anala: fire

• loke: in the world

• naṣṭa: destroyed

• ākāśa: ether/space

• mahī-tala: the earth’s surface/ground

• kevalam: only, solely

• gahvarī-bhūte: having become a deep hollow/cavern-like void

• mahā-bhūta: the great elements (earth, water, fire, wind, ether)

• viparyaye: in the inversion/reversal/disorder

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Pralaya teaching as taught in the Matsya Purana, ultimately traced to Lord Matsya’s instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahābhūtas (five great elements)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Mahabhuta
• Cosmic Dissolution
• Matsya Purana
• Voidness

FAQs

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

It depicts Pralaya as a collapse and reversal of the five great elements, where even wind, fire, ether, and the earth’s ground dissolve, leaving a cavernous void-like state.

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

By stressing the impermanence of the elemental world, it supports the Matsya Purana’s ethical thrust: rulers and householders should govern and live with detachment, uphold dharma, and invest in lasting merit (dāna, yajña, protection of subjects) rather than clinging to transient power and possessions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple rule is stated; indirectly, the verse frames all material structures as impermanent under Pralaya, encouraging Vāstu and ritual works to be oriented toward dharma and consecration (puṇya) rather than mere worldly permanence.