Shloka 23

Matsya Purana — The Birth of Tāraka: Varāṅgī’s Lament

Devanagari script

जेपुर्जप्यं मुनिवरा नेदुर्व्यालमृगा अपि चन्द्रसूर्यौ जहुः कान्तिं सनीहारा दिशो ऽभवन् //

Transliteration

jepurjapyaṃ munivarā nedurvyālamṛgā api candrasūryau jahuḥ kāntiṃ sanīhārā diśo 'bhavan //

Translation

The foremost sages ceased their sacred recitations; even serpents and wild beasts cried out. The moon and the sun lost their radiance, and all the directions became shrouded in mist.

Word by Word

• jepuḥ: became faint/ceased (in their activity)

• japyaṃ: the act of japa, sacred recitation

• munivarāḥ: the best of sages

• neduḥ: roared/cried out

• vyāla-mṛgāḥ: serpents and wild beasts

• api: even

• candra-sūryau: the moon and the sun

• jahuḥ: abandoned/left behind

• kāntim: brilliance, radiance

• sa-nīhārāḥ: with fog/mist

• diśaḥ: the directions/quarters

• abhavan: became/were

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing Pralaya portents within the Matsya Purana discourse

Entities Mentioned

• Munis (sages)
• Chandra (Moon)
• Surya (Sun)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Omens
• Cosmic disorder
• Puranic cosmology
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

It depicts classic Pralaya-omens: breakdown of ritual order (japa falters), disturbance among creatures, and cosmic dimming as the sun and moon lose radiance and the quarters turn obscured—signaling the world’s approach to dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it frames dharma as dependent on cosmic stability: when Pralaya-omens arise, normal duties and rites become disrupted, urging rulers and householders to prioritize protection, restraint, and refuge-seeking under divine guidance rather than ordinary expansion or ritual display.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights the interruption of japa and the loss of auspicious visibility (sun, moon, clear directions), conditions considered inauspicious for initiating yajña, consecrations, or temple works—suggesting postponement and intensified propitiatory observances.