Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

पक्षाभ्यां चारुपत्राभ्याम् आवृत्य दिवि लीलया युगान्ते सेन्द्रचापाभ्यां तोयदाभ्यामिवाम्बरम् //

Transliteration

pakṣābhyāṃ cārupatrābhyām āvṛtya divi līlayā yugānte sendracāpābhyāṃ toyadābhyāmivāmbaram //

Translation

At the end of the age, playfully spreading its two wings—lovely as leaves—it covered the sky, like two rain-clouds bearing Indra’s rainbow veiling the heavens.

Word by Word

• पक्षाभ्याम्: with (its) two wings

• चारु-पत्राभ्याम्: with two beautiful leaf-like (wings)

• आवृत्य: having covered/veiled

• दिवि: in the sky

• लीलया: playfully, as a sport

• युगान्ते: at the end of the yuga (time-cycle)

• सेन्द्र-चापाभ्याम्: with (clouds) having Indra’s bow (rainbow), i.e., rainbow-bearing

• तोयदाभ्याम्: with two rain-clouds (literally ‘water-givers’)

• इव: like/as

• अम्बरम्: the sky/heaven

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s pralaya-related description (dialogue context traditionally tied to Lord Matsya’s teaching to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Indra (Indra-dhanu, the rainbow)
• Yuga (time-cycle)
• Toyada (rain-clouds)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Omens
• Puranic Imagery
• Sky and Clouds
• Yuganta

FAQs

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

It depicts a yugānta (end-of-age) atmosphere where the heavens are veiled like by massive rain-clouds—an omen-like cosmic image consistent with pralaya narratives and climatic upheaval.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of preparedness and humility: rulers and householders should remember the impermanence of worldly order at yugānta and uphold dharma, charity, and restraint rather than pride in power.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the verse mainly provides symbolic cosmography (clouds and rainbow). In ritual reading, such imagery is used to frame pralaya-themed recitations and contemplations on impermanence.