Shloka 27

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

तुङ्गानि वेश्मानि सगोपुराणि स्वर्णानि कैलासशशिप्रभाणि प्रह्लादरूपाः प्रमथावरुद्धा ज्योतींषि मेघा इव चाश्मवर्षाः //

Transliteration

tuṅgāni veśmāni sagopurāṇi svarṇāni kailāsaśaśiprabhāṇi prahlādarūpāḥ pramathāvaruddhā jyotīṃṣi meghā iva cāśmavarṣāḥ //

Translation

Lofty mansions rose up, complete with gopuras (towered gateways), golden in hue, shining like Mount Kailāsa and the moon. Delighting the heart in their very form, they were thronged with Pramathas; and their lights appeared like clouds, as though raining down stones.

Word by Word

• tuṅgāni: lofty, high

• veśmāni: houses, mansions

• sa-gopurāṇi: with gopuras/towered gateways

• svarṇāni: golden

• kailāsa-śaśi-prabhāṇi: having the radiance of Kailāsa and the moon

• prahlāda-rūpāḥ: of delightful/pleasing appearance

• pramatha-āvaruddhā: filled/occupied by Pramathas (Śiva’s attendants) / crowded by fierce retinues

• jyotīṃṣi: lights, luminous points

• meghā iva: like clouds

• ca: and

• aśma-varṣāḥ: stone-rains / raining stones (metaphor for dense, striking brilliance or heavy, clustered forms).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s account; descriptive passage rather than direct dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Kailāsa
• Pramatha

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Puranic architecture
• Gopura
• Palace description
• Iconic imagery

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is an architectural-visual description emphasizing height, radiance, and the awe-inspiring presence of structures (veśmāni) with gopuras.

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

Indirectly, it supports the ideal of royal and civic order: well-built, fortified, and aesthetically radiant residences and gateways are hallmarks of a properly governed settlement, reflecting prosperity, protection, and cultured patronage.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse highlights gopuras (towered gateways) and lofty, luminous construction—key markers in Vastu-oriented descriptions of prestigious compounds/temple-cities, where elevation, gateways, and visual splendor signify power and sanctity.