Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

दर्पितानां ततश्चैषां दर्पितानाम् इवाग्नीनाम् रूपाणि जज्वलुस्तेषाम् अग्नीनामिव धम्यताम् //

Transliteration

darpitānāṃ tataścaiṣāṃ darpitānām ivāgnīnām rūpāṇi jajvalusteṣām agnīnāmiva dhamyatām //

Translation

Then, among those arrogant ones, their forms blazed forth—like swollen, raging fires—like flames that flare up when the furnace-fire is fanned.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• ca: and

• eṣām: of these (persons/beings)

• darpitānām: of the proud/arrogant

• iva: like/as

• agnīnām: of fires

• rūpāṇi: forms/appearances

• jajvaluḥ: blazed, flared up, shone fiercely

• teṣām: of them

• agnīnām: of fires

• dhamyatām: being blown/fanned (as by bellows)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account; dialogue context ultimately grounded in Matsya’s teaching to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Agni (fire)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Fire
• Hubris
• Purana Narrative
• Divine Retribution

FAQs

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

It uses pralaya-style imagery: destructive intensity is portrayed as fire that grows fiercer when fanned, suggesting an unstoppable escalation once dissolution-forces are set in motion.

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

By condemning darpa (arrogant pride) through the metaphor of runaway fire, it implies that rulers and householders must restrain ego and passion—otherwise their power and emotions become self-destructive.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse alludes to a ritual/technical image of fire being fanned by bellows (dhmāna), a known process in sacrificial and furnace contexts—useful for explaining how offerings or heat intensify, though no direct Vāstu rule is stated here.