Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

इतश्चेतश्च धावन्तः केचिदुद्भूतवाससः किमेतदिति पप्रच्छुर् अन्योन्यं गृहमाश्रिताः //

Transliteration

itaścetaśca dhāvantaḥ kecidudbhūtavāsasaḥ kimetaditi papracchur anyonyaṃ gṛhamāśritāḥ //

Translation

Some—clothes thrown into disarray—ran here and there. Having taken refuge in their houses, they kept asking one another, “What is this?”

Word by Word

• itaś ca: from here/this side

• etaś ca: from there/that side

• dhāvantaḥ: running

• kecit: some people

• udbhūta-vāsasaḥ: with garments disturbed/raised up in confusion

• kim etat: what is this

• iti: thus

• papracchuḥ: they asked

• anyonyam: one another

• gṛha-āśritāḥ: having resorted to/remaining within their homes for shelter

Speaker

• Suta (narrative description within the Matsya Purana’s Pralaya account; not direct speech of Matsya/Manu in this verse)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Portents
• Panic
• Public reaction
• Narrative

FAQs

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

It depicts the immediate human response to pralaya-like portents—confusion, fear, and frantic movement—signaling that a larger dissolution event is unfolding.

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

For householders, it highlights the instinct to seek shelter and communal clarity in crisis; in the broader Matsya Purana ethic, such moments imply the need for disciplined conduct and reliance on wise guidance rather than panic.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; indirectly, the verse underscores the home (gṛha) as a place of refuge—an idea often assumed in later Vastu discourse about protective, well-ordered dwellings.