Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — The Burning of Tripura and Rudra’s Victory

Devanagari script

छिन्नस्रग्दामहाराश्च प्रमृष्टाम्बरभूषणाः तिमिनक्रगणे चैव पतन्ति प्रमथाः सुराः //

Transliteration

chinnasragdāmahārāśca pramṛṣṭāmbarabhūṣaṇāḥ timinakragaṇe caiva patanti pramathāḥ surāḥ //

Translation

With their garlands and wreaths torn away, and their garments and ornaments dishevelled and askew, the hosts of divine attendants—the Pramathas, and even the gods—fall amid the swarms of timi-fish and the sea-creatures called makara.

Word by Word

• छिन्न (chinna): torn, severed

• स्रक्/स्रग् (srak/srag): garland

• दाम (dāma): wreath/chaplet, garland-string

• हार (hāra): necklace

• रास्/राशि (rāśi): heap, multitude

• च (ca): and

• प्रमृष्ट (pramṛṣṭa): rubbed off, smeared, disordered

• अम्बर (ambara): garment

• भूषण (bhūṣaṇa): ornament

• तिमि (timi): large fish/whale-like fish

• नक्र (nakra): crocodile/aquatic monster

• गण (gaṇa): group, swarm

• एव (eva): indeed

• पतन्ति (patanti): fall, plunge

• प्रमथाः (pramathāḥ): Pramatha-spirits/attendant hosts (often of Rudra)

• सुराः (surāḥ): gods, deities

Speaker

• Suta (narratorial voice describing the pralaya-like calamity within the Matsya Purana’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Pramathas
• Suras (gods)
• Timi (great fish)
• Makara
• Nakra

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Disorder
• Omens
• Devas
• Oceanic Creatures

FAQs

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

It depicts dissolution-like chaos where even divine beings lose their splendor and stability, plunging into a violent, oceanic realm filled with timi and makara/nakra creatures—an image of cosmic order collapsing.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic of humility and preparedness: worldly and even celestial status is unstable in times of upheaval, so rulers and householders are urged elsewhere in the Matsya Purana to anchor life in dharma, charity, and disciplined rites rather than pride.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-building rule appears here; the verse functions as a pralaya/omen tableau used in Purāṇic narration to emphasize disorder, contrasting with the later Vāstu-śāstra sections that aim to establish harmony and stability.