Shloka 53

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

विद्युन्मालिन्न नः कालः साधितुं ह्यवहेलया करोमि विक्रमेणैतत् पुरं व्यसनवर्जितम् //

Transliteration

vidyunmālinna naḥ kālaḥ sādhituṃ hyavahelayā karomi vikrameṇaitat puraṃ vyasanavarjitam //

Translation

O Vidyunmālin, we have no time to accomplish this through negligence; by my own prowess I shall make this city free from calamities and misfortunes.

Word by Word

• vidyunmālin: O Vidyunmālin (proper name, vocative)

• naḥ: for us/our

• kālaḥ: time

• na: not

• sādhitum: to accomplish, to bring to completion

• hi: indeed

• avahelayā: by disregard, by carelessness, lightly

• karomi: I do/make

• vikrameṇa: by valor, by might/energy

• etat: this

• puram: city/fortified town

• vyasana-varjitam: devoid of disasters, free from adversity

Speaker

• A king/commander addressing Vidyunmālin (contextual interlocutor within the city-protection narrative of Adhyaya 138)

Entities Mentioned

• Vidyunmālin
• pura (city)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Town planning
• Fortification
• Protection rites
• Royal duty

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it stresses urgency and decisive action to secure a city against misfortunes, aligning more with protective Vastu and governance than cosmic dissolution.

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

It frames a ruler’s duty as proactive: a king should not govern carelessly but act with resolve to keep the town free from vyasana (public distress), reflecting the Purana’s ethic of vigilant protection and welfare.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key term vyasana-varjitam signals the Vastu goal of a “calamity-free city,” implying that proper planning, fortification, and protective measures (including prescribed rites) must be executed promptly, not negligently.