Shloka 73

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

Devanagari script

सगोपुरो मन्दरपादकल्पः प्राकारवर्यस्त्रिपुरे च सो ऽथ तैरेव सार्धं भवनैः पपात शब्दं महान्तं जनयन्समुद्रे //

Transliteration

sagopuro mandarapādakalpaḥ prākāravaryastripure ca so 'tha taireva sārdhaṃ bhavanaiḥ papāta śabdaṃ mahāntaṃ janayansamudre //

Translation

That fortified city, complete with its gates, founded like the foot of Mount Mandara and encircled by most excellent ramparts, then in Tripura fell into the ocean together with those very palaces, raising a tremendous roar.

Word by Word

• sa-gopuraḥ: furnished with gateways

• mandara-pāda-kalpaḥ: comparable to the foot/base of Mount Mandara (firm, massive foundation)

• prākāra-varyaḥ: possessing excellent ramparts/fortification walls

• tripure: in (the context of) Tripura / the triple city

• saḥ: that (city/fortress)

• atha: then

• taiḥ eva sārdham: together with those very (structures/inhabitants implied) / along with them

• bhavanaiḥ: with palaces, mansions, buildings

• papāta: fell, collapsed, plunged down

• śabdam mahāntam: a great sound, tremendous roar

• janayan: producing, causing

• samudre: into the ocean / in the sea.

Speaker

• Suta (Pauranika narrator) recounting the Tripura episode (narrative voice within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Tripura
• Mandara
• Samudra (Ocean)

Tags

• Tripura
• Fortifications
• Vastu Shastra
• Cosmic destruction
• Puranic warfare

FAQs

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

It depicts a destruction motif: an entire fortified city (Tripura), with gates, walls, and palaces, collapses into the ocean, emphasizing catastrophic dissolution through submergence.

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

Indirectly, it underscores the impermanence of even the strongest royal constructions—an ethical reminder in Purāṇic literature that power and wealth must be governed by dharma, not pride in fortifications and possessions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It names key Vāstu/urban elements—gopura (gateways) and prākāra (ramparts)—and uses Mandara-like foundation imagery, highlighting ideals of massive bases and strong enclosure walls in Puranic city-planning descriptions.