Shloka 33

Matsya Purana — The Array of the Gods: Description of the Vaiṣṇava Host and the Lokapālas

Devanagari script

सृजन्तः सर्पपतयस् तीव्रतोयमयं विषम् शरभूता दिवीन्द्राणां चेरुर्व्यात्तानना दिवि //

Transliteration

sṛjantaḥ sarpapatayas tīvratoyamayaṃ viṣam śarabhūtā divīndrāṇāṃ cerurvyāttānanā divi //

Translation

The lords of serpents, spewing a fierce, flood-like poison, became like śarabhas; with gaping mouths they roamed in the sky, assailing the rulers of heaven.

Word by Word

• sṛjantaḥ: releasing, emitting

• sarpa-patayaḥ: serpent-lords (Nāga chiefs)

• tīvrá: fierce, intense

• toya-mayam: made of water, flood-like, liquid as a torrent

• viṣam: poison

• śarabhūtāḥ: having become śarabhas (a powerful beast, emblem of ferocity)

• divi-indrāṇām: of the Indras of heaven / the lords of the celestial realm

• ceruḥ: they moved, they ranged

• vyātta-ānanāḥ: with opened/gaping mouths

• divi: in the sky, in heaven.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice recounting events within the Purāṇic episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Sarpapatis (Nāga chiefs)
• Divīndrāḥ (lords of heaven / Indras)
• Śarabha (as a simile/form)

Tags

• Mythic battle
• Poison imagery
• Nāgas
• Heavenly conflict
• Portents

FAQs

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

It uses pralaya-like imagery—poison described as a violent, flood-like torrent—yet the scene is primarily a celestial assault, not the cosmic dissolution itself.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces a Purāṇic ethic: uncontrolled destructive forces (here, venom as a metaphor for rage or hostility) threaten order; rulers are expected to restrain such chaos and protect the realm, just as the gods defend cosmic stability.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or temple-ritual rule is stated; the verse is mythic-poetic, emphasizing omens and destructive potency rather than construction or consecration procedures.