Shloka 34

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

मार्गाः पुरे लोहितकर्दमालाः स्वर्णेष्टकास्फाटिकभिन्नचित्राः कृता मुहूर्तेन सुखेन गन्तुं छिन्नोत्तमाङ्गाङ्घ्रिकराः करालाः //

Transliteration

mārgāḥ pure lohitakardamālāḥ svarṇeṣṭakāsphāṭikabhinnacitrāḥ kṛtā muhūrtena sukhena gantuṃ chinnottamāṅgāṅghrikarāḥ karālāḥ //

Translation

In that city, the roads were laid with red-tinted clay and mud, inlaid with patterns of golden bricks and crystal-like stones. They were so well made that one could travel comfortably in a mere moment; yet they looked fearsome, as though strewn with severed heads, feet, and hands.

Word by Word

• मार्गाः (mārgāḥ): roads/streets

• पुरे (pure): in the city

• लोहित (lohita): red/reddish

• कर्दम (kardama): mud/clay

• आलाः (ālāḥ): having/filled with

• स्वर्ण (svarṇa): gold

• इष्टका (iṣṭakā): bricks

• स्फाटिक (sphāṭika): crystal/quartz/clear stone

• भिन्न (bhinna): variegated/divided/inlaid

• चित्राः (citrāḥ): patterned/ornamented

• कृता (kṛtā): made/constructed

• मुहूर्तेन (muhūrtena): in a moment/within a muhūrta

• सुखेन (sukhena): comfortably/with ease

• गन्तुम् (gantum): to go/to travel

• छिन्न (chinna): cut off/severed

• उत्तमाङ्ग (uttamāṅga): head

• अङ्घ्रि (aṅghri): foot

• कर (kara): hand

• करालाः (karālāḥ): terrifying/grim/fierce-looking

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) continuing a descriptive passage within the Matsya Purana’s Vāstu/urban-planning section (speaker not explicitly marked in the provided line).

Tags

• Matsya Purana Vastu Shastra tips
• Ancient Indian town planning
• Nagara-nirmana
• Road design
• Urban aesthetics

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on civic construction—how roads are built and ornamented—indicating an architectural/urban-planning theme rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It implies a ruler’s duty to maintain well-constructed, comfortable public roads and civic infrastructure—an aspect of rājadharma expressed through orderly, prosperous city planning.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it highlights road-making materials and ornamentation (brick and crystal-like stone inlays) and emphasizes usability (easy travel). The “fearsome” imagery likely signals protective/apotropaic aesthetics used to guard or mark spaces.