Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

आरोहति रथं देवे ह्य् अश्वा हरभरातुराः जानुभिः पतिता भूमौ रजोग्रासश्च ग्रासितः //

Transliteration

ārohati rathaṃ deve hy aśvā harabharāturāḥ jānubhiḥ patitā bhūmau rajogrāsaśca grāsitaḥ //

Translation

When the divine one mounts the chariot, the horses—distressed by the weight and strain—sink down upon the earth on their knees, and are choked, as it were, by mouthfuls of dust.

Word by Word

• ārohati: mounts/ascends

• ratham: the chariot

• deve: the god/the divine one

• hi: indeed

• aśvāḥ: the horses

• hara-bhara-āturāḥ: afflicted by burden/strain (weighed down and distressed)

• jānubhiḥ: on their knees/with their knees

• patitāḥ: fallen/sunk down

• bhūmau: on the ground/on the earth

• rajo-grāsaḥ: a mouthful of dust (dust-ingestion)

• ca: and

• grāsitaḥ: swallowed/choked/overcome (by what is swallowed)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice relaying the Matsya Purana’s Pralaya omens; situated within the Matsya–Manu frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Deva (the divine charioteer/figure)
• Aśvāḥ (horses)
• Rajaḥ (dust)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Omens
• Cosmic Disorder
• Matsya-Avatara Context
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

It depicts collapse and dysfunction even in divine or royal motion—horses dropping to their knees and choking on dust—serving as an omen-like image of disorder associated with Pralaya conditions.

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

Indirectly, it warns that when conditions become destabilized (symbolized by the chariot’s failure), prudent rulers/householders should recognize omens, reduce rash action, and prioritize protection, preparedness, and dharmic restraint—key themes in the Matsya–Manu survival framework.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the verse functions primarily as an omen motif—dust, collapse, and impeded movement—often used in Purāṇic literature to signal an inauspicious, destabilized environment rather than prescribe temple-building procedures.