Shloka 67

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

Devanagari script

यथा दहति शैलाग्निः साम्बुजं जलजाकरम् तथा स्त्रीवक्त्रपद्मानि चादहत्त्रिपुरे ऽनलः //

Transliteration

yathā dahati śailāgniḥ sāmbujaṃ jalajākaram tathā strīvaktrapadmāni cādahattripure 'nalaḥ //

Translation

Just as a mountain-fire burns a lake filled with lotuses, so too did the fire in Tripura burn the lotus-like faces of women.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as

• dahati: burns

• śailāgniḥ: mountain-fire, wildfire upon a mountain

• sa-ambujam: together with lotuses (lotus-filled)

• jalaja-ākaram: a water-reservoir, lake (lit. a repository of water-born things)

• tathā: so, in the same way

• strī: women

• vaktra: face

• padmāni: lotuses

• ca: and

• ādahat: burned up, consumed

• tripure: in Tripura / in the three cities

• analaḥ: fire (also a name for Agni).

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice) describing the Tripura episode within the Matsya Purana’s mythic narration

Entities Mentioned

• Tripura
• Anala (Agni/Fire)

Tags

• Tripura
• Shiva
• Mythic warfare
• Poetic simile
• Destruction

FAQs

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

It is not a Pralaya (cosmic dissolution) verse; it depicts localized, mythic destruction—fire consuming Tripura—using imagery of a wildfire burning a lotus-lake.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a warning about the catastrophic consequences of adharma and conflict: when destructive forces are unleashed, ordinary life (symbolized by women’s lotus-faces and a lotus-lake) is also harmed.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, “Tripura” evokes fortified, constructed cities; ritually, it alludes to the famous Tripuradahana theme (often linked to Shiva’s cosmic weapon/fire), but this specific verse is primarily poetic description rather than a Vastu or temple-building rule.