Shloka 53

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

Devanagari script

सो ऽपीषुः पत्त्रपुटवद् दग्ध्वा तन्नगरत्रयम् त्रिधा इव हुताशश्च सोमो नारायणस्तथा //

Transliteration

so 'pīṣuḥ pattrapuṭavad dagdhvā tannagaratrayam tridhā iva hutāśaśca somo nārāyaṇastathā //

Translation

He too—like a blazing fire—burned those three cities, as though dividing them into three parts; so did Soma, and likewise Nārāyaṇa.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he

• api: also/too

• īṣuḥ: arrow/missile

• pattra-puṭa-vat: like a leaf-wrapper/like something folded in a leaf (i.e., easily consumed/quickly burnt)

• dagdhvā: having burned

• tat-nagara-trayam: that triad of cities (the three cities/Tripura)

• tridhā: into three parts/threefold

• iva: as if/like

• hutāśaḥ: fire (the consumer of oblations)

• ca: and

• somaḥ: Soma (the Moon-deity)

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)

• tathā: likewise/in the same manner.

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator), within the Tripura-dāha narration

Entities Mentioned

• Nārāyaṇa
• Soma
• Hutāśa (Agni)
• Tripura (three cities)

Tags

• Tripura-dāha
• Shaiva-Vaishnava theology
• Divine weapons
• Cosmic destruction motif
• Puranic battle narrative

FAQs

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

It uses a pralaya-like image—fire consuming and dividing—showing how divine power can dissolve even fortified worlds (the three cities), echoing the Purāṇic theme that destruction is effortless for the cosmic principle.

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

Indirectly, it models the ideal of decisive action against adharma: just as the divine weapon removes a threat swiftly, a king must remove sources of disorder, and a householder should burn away inner vices through discipline and devotion.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse is not a Vāstu rule; it references the “three cities” (Tripura) as a mythic construct, often interpreted as symbolic ‘fortresses’ of ego or impurity rather than a literal town-planning prescription.