Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Battle at Tripura: Shiva’s Strategy

Devanagari script

यदा तु पुष्ययोगेण एकत्वं स्थास्यते पुरम् तदेतन्निर्दहिष्यामि शरेणैकेन वासव //

Transliteration

yadā tu puṣyayogeṇa ekatvaṃ sthāsyate puram tadetannirdahiṣyāmi śareṇaikena vāsava //

Translation

But when, through the Puṣya-yoga, the city comes to stand in a single aligned unity, then, O Vāsava (Indra), I shall burn it down with a single arrow.

Word by Word

• yadā: when

• tu: but/indeed

• puṣya-yogeṇa: by the Puṣya conjunction/auspicious astrological yoga

• ekatvam: oneness, single unified alignment

• sthāsyate: will stand/come to be established

• puram: the city/fortified town

• tad: then

• etat: this (city/that very place)

• nirdahiṣyāmi: I will burn/consume with fire

• śareṇa: with an arrow

• ekena: with a single (one)

• vāsava: O Vāsava, i.e., Indra

Speaker

• Unclear (likely a divine/royal speaker addressing Indra, in a narrative on city-omens and hostile rites)

Entities Mentioned

• Puṣya (nakṣatra/yoga)
• Vāsava (Indra)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Pura (city)
• Jyotisha yoga
• Omens
• Protective rites

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic Pralaya; it speaks of a targeted destruction—burning a city—triggered by a specific astrological condition (Puṣya-yoga), reflecting localized ruin rather than universal dissolution.

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

It implies that rulers must heed auspicious/inauspicious timings and omens affecting civic security; in the Matsya Purana’s applied dharma, governance includes protecting settlements through correct timing, vigilance, and countermeasures against hostile acts.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse links a city’s “ekatva” (unified alignment/coming into a single configuration) with Puṣya-yoga—suggesting that Vastu-related alignment and Jyotiṣa timing were considered ritually potent, requiring protective rites to prevent calamity.