Shloka 30

Matsya Purana — The Gods Seek Śiva’s Refuge: The Cosmic Chariot Prepared for the Burning of T...

Devanagari script

तद्युगं युगसंकाशं रथशीर्षे प्रतिष्ठितम् धृतराष्ट्रेण नागेन बद्धं बलवता महत् //

Transliteration

tadyugaṃ yugasaṃkāśaṃ rathaśīrṣe pratiṣṭhitam dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa nāgena baddhaṃ balavatā mahat //

Translation

That immense yoke—vast as an age (yuga) in its seeming—was fixed upon the chariot’s front; and it was firmly bound there by the powerful serpent Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

Word by Word

• tat: that

• yugam: yoke (also: yuga/age, used here as a size-comparison pun)

• yuga-saṃkāśam: appearing like a yuga, enormous in magnitude

• ratha-śīrṣe: on the head/front of the chariot (chariot-prow)

• pratiṣṭhitam: set, installed, firmly placed

• dhṛtarāṣṭreṇa: by Dhṛtarāṣṭra

• nāgena: by the serpent (nāga)

• baddham: bound, fastened

• balavatā: by the strong/powerful one

• mahat: great, mighty, immense

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the Matsya Purana’s narrative voice (describing an episode involving the Nāga Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Entities Mentioned

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Nāga)
• Ratha (chariot)
• Yuga (as a magnitude comparison)

Tags

• MythicNarrative
• NāgaLore
• CosmicImagery
• EpicSimile
• MatsyaPurana

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly describe pralaya; it uses cosmic-scale imagery (“yuga-like”) to emphasize an immense, securely fastened burden, a common Purāṇic way of conveying superhuman or world-scale action.

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

Indirectly, it models the ideal of firm restraint and proper securing of responsibilities—symbolized by the yoke bound at the chariot’s front—echoing Purāṇic ethics where power must be harnessed and directed, not left ungoverned.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the technical takeaway is the emphasis on correct placement (pratiṣṭhā) and secure binding (bandhana), terms that also appear in installation contexts, though here applied to a chariot component.