Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

ततो बाणं त्रिधा देवस् त्रिदैवतमयं हरः मुमोच त्रिपुरे तूर्णं त्रिनेत्रस्त्रिपथाधिपः //

Transliteration

tato bāṇaṃ tridhā devas tridaivatamayaṃ haraḥ mumoca tripure tūrṇaṃ trinetrastripathādhipaḥ //

Translation

Then Hara (Śiva)—the Three-eyed Lord, ruler of the three paths—swiftly loosed at Tripura an arrow constituted of the three deities, splitting it into three.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• bāṇam: arrow

• tridhā: into three (threefold)

• devaḥ: the god

• tridaivata-mayam: constituted of the triad of deities (Brahmā-Viṣṇu-Śiva / three divine powers)

• haraḥ: Hara, Śiva

• mumoca: released, discharged

• tripure: at/against Tripura (the three cities/fortresses)

• tūrṇam: swiftly

• trinetraḥ: the Three-eyed one (Śiva)

• tripatha-adhipaḥ: lord of the three paths (often read as heaven-earth-underworld / the three cosmic courses).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the Tripura-dahana narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Hara (Shiva)
• Tripura
• Trinetra (Three-eyed Shiva)
• Tridaivata (triad of deities)

Tags

• Tripura-dahana
• Shaiva theology
• Divine weapons
• Puranic warfare
• Cosmic order

FAQs

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

While not describing Pralaya directly, the verse uses cosmic symbolism—Śiva as lord of the “three paths” and the tri-deity arrow—to show divine power restoring order by destroying Tripura, a model for how cosmic imbalance is removed.

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

By analogy, it presents the ideal of swift, decisive action against adharma: just as Śiva employs unified divine power to eliminate a fortified threat, a king should protect society by removing entrenched wrongdoing; householders should restrain inner “fortresses” of vice (pride, desire, delusion).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Tripura (“three cities/fortresses”) functions as a symbolic architecture of fortified evil; ritually, the verse highlights the sanctity of divine weapons and the idea that successful rites/actions require integrated powers (the ‘tridaivata’ principle), a theme often echoed in temple ritual theology though not a direct Vāstu rule here.