Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — The Advent of Narasiṃha and Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Weapon-Assault

Devanagari script

पैतामहं तथात्युग्रं त्रैलोक्यदहनं महत् विचित्रामशनीं चैव शुष्कार्द्रं चाशनिद्वयम् //

Transliteration

paitāmahaṃ tathātyugraṃ trailokyadahanaṃ mahat vicitrāmaśanīṃ caiva śuṣkārdraṃ cāśanidvayam //

Translation

“(There is) the Paitāmaha (Brahmā-born) thunderbolt; and also the exceedingly fierce, mighty (one) that burns the three worlds; likewise the variegated thunderbolt; and the pair of thunderbolts—one ‘dry’ and one ‘moist’.”

Word by Word

• पैतामहम्: Brahmā-related, ‘Paitāmaha’ (derived from the Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

• तथा: and also

• अत्युग्रम्: exceedingly terrible, extremely fierce

• त्रैलोक्य-दहनम्: world-burning, consuming the three worlds

• महत्: great, mighty

• विचित्राम्: multiform, variegated, wondrous

• अशनीम्: thunderbolt, lightning (aśanī)

• च एव: and indeed

• शुष्कम्: dry

• आर्द्रम्: moist, wet

• च: and

• अशनि-द्वयम्: a pair/twofold set of thunderbolts

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution typical of Matsya Purana dialogues)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Trailokya (the three worlds)
• Aśanī (thunderbolt/lightning)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Fire
• Celestial Weapons
• Puranic Cosmology
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

It lists specific kinds of destructive ‘aśanī’ (thunderbolt/lightning) forces—some explicitly described as capable of burning the three worlds—suggesting pralaya imagery where cosmic energies and fires dissolve the manifested cosmos.

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

Indirectly, it frames human duty against the backdrop of cosmic impermanence: kings and householders are urged elsewhere in the Matsya Purana to uphold dharma, perform yajña and charity, and build enduring merit since even the three worlds can be consumed by time and divine forces.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, aśanī evokes Indraic/celestial power and the purificatory yet fearsome aspect of lightning; in temple and vastu contexts, such cosmic ‘fire-and-thunder’ imagery supports the Purana’s broader emphasis on correct rites and consecrations to align built space with protective cosmic order.