Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Episode of Madhu and Kaiṭabha: Gunas

Devanagari script

तौ पादयोस्तु विन्यासाद् उत्क्षिपन्ताविवार्णवम् कम्पयन्ताविव हरिं शयानं मधुसूदनम् //

Transliteration

tau pādayostu vinyāsād utkṣipantāvivārṇavam kampayantāviva hariṃ śayānaṃ madhusūdanam //

Translation

By the mere setting down of those two feet, it was as though the ocean were being heaved up; and it was as though the reclining Hari—Madhusūdana—were being made to tremble.

Word by Word

• tau: those two

• pādayoḥ: of (his) feet

• tu: indeed

• vinyāsāt: from the placing/setting down

• utkṣipantau iva: as if lifting up/heaving

• arṇavam: the ocean

• kampayantau iva: as if causing to shake/tremble

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)

• śayānam: lying/reclining

• madhusūdanam: Madhusūdana (slayer of Madhu, epithet of Viṣṇu).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene within the Matsya Purana’s discourse

Entities Mentioned

• Hari
• Madhusūdana

Tags

• Vaishnava
• Cosmic Form
• Ocean
• Mythic Imagery
• Power

FAQs

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

It uses oceanic, cosmic-scale imagery—heaving the ocean and shaking the reclining Hari—suggesting a universe-moving power often associated with cosmic transitions, though this verse itself is descriptive rather than a direct Pralaya instruction.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic theme that worldly order rests on divine stability and power; kingship and household life are to be aligned with dharma under the overarching sovereignty of Hari.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual rule is stated, but the epithet and posture “śayāna Hari” aligns with devotional/temple iconography themes (e.g., reclining Viṣṇu imagery) relevant to pratīmā-lakṣaṇa discussions across Purāṇic traditions.