Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

व्रणाननैर् अङ्गरसं स्रवद्भिः सुरासुरैर्नक्रतिमिङ्गिलैश्च कृतो मुहूर्तेन समुद्रदेशः सरक्ततोयः समुदीर्णतोयः //

Transliteration

vraṇānanair aṅgarasaṃ sravadbhiḥ surāsurairnakratimiṅgilaiśca kṛto muhūrtena samudradeśaḥ saraktatoyaḥ samudīrṇatoyaḥ //

Translation

In but a single muhūrta, the ocean-region became a scene of upheaval—its waters churned and swollen, reddened with blood—filled with gods and asuras whose wounded mouths streamed bodily fluid, and with creatures like crocodiles and the timiṅgila sea-monsters.

Word by Word

• व्रण (vraṇa): wound

• आनन (ānana): mouth/face

• व्रणाननैः (vraṇānanaiḥ): with wounded mouths/faces

• अङ्ग (aṅga): body/limb

• रस (rasa): fluid/essence/juice

• अङ्गरसम् (aṅgarasam): bodily fluid/ichor

• स्रवद्भिः (sravadbhiḥ): flowing/oozing

• सुर (sura): god

• असुर (asura): demon

• सुरासुरैः (surāsuraiḥ): by gods and asuras

• नक्र (nakra): crocodile

• तिमिङ्गिल (timiṅgila): a gigantic sea creature/whale-like monster

• नक्रतिमिङ्गिलैः (nakratimiṅgilaiḥ): with crocodiles and timiṅgilas

• च (ca): and

• कृतः (kṛtaḥ): made/turned into

• मुहूर्तेन (muhūrtena): within a muhūrta (about 48 minutes)

• समुद्रदेशः (samudradeśaḥ): the ocean-region/sea-area

• सरक्त (saraktá): with blood, bloodied

• तोयः (toyaḥ): water

• सरक्ततोयः (saraktatoyaḥ): having blood-reddened waters

• समुदीर्ण (samudīrṇa): agitated, swollen, heaving, overflowing

• तोयः (toyaḥ): water

• समुदीर्णतोयः (samudīrṇatoyaḥ): having surging/heaving waters.

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (narrator) reporting the scene within the Matsya–Manu Pralaya discourse (contextual attribution)

Entities Mentioned

• Suras (Devas)
• Asuras
• Nakra (crocodiles)
• Timiṅgila (sea-monsters)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Ocean upheaval
• Cosmic conflict
• Matsya narrative
• Puranic imagery

FAQs

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

It portrays Pralaya-like chaos through a violently heaving ocean, blood-reddened waters, and beings (devas, asuras, and sea-monsters) thrown into turmoil—an emblem of cosmic order collapsing into agitation.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a warning-image: when the world becomes unstable and dangerous, dharma emphasizes preparedness, self-restraint, and reliance on divine guidance—virtues highlighted in the broader Matsya–Manu narrative even if not legislated in this single verse.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is taught in this verse; its significance is primarily cosmological and narrative, supplying vivid Pralaya imagery rather than temple-building or rite-instructions.