Shloka 1
Matsya Purana — The Burning of Tripura: Maya’s Triple Fortresses and the Boon that Leads to S...
*ऋषय ऊचुः कथं जगाम भगवान् पुरारित्वं महेश्वरः ददाह च कथं देवस् तन्नो विस्तरतो वद //
*ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathaṃ jagāma bhagavān purāritvaṃ maheśvaraḥ dadāha ca kathaṃ devas tanno vistarato vada //
The sages said: “How did the Blessed Lord Maheśvara come to assume the state of being ‘Purāri’ (the enemy of the cities)? And how did that God burn them? Tell us that in detail.”
FAQs
This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it introduces a mythic inquiry into Śiva’s destructive act (burning the ‘cities’), a motif of divine dissolution applied to demonic strongholds rather than cosmic dissolution.
Indirectly, it frames a dharmic theme: destructive force is legitimate when used to remove adharma. Kingship ethics in the Purāṇas often mirror this—punishment and protection must be purposeful and guided by righteousness.
No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; however, the mention of ‘pura’ (cities/fortresses) sets up a narrative that later traditions interpret alongside fortress/city symbolism and the ritualized framing of divine battle.