Shloka 55

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

Devanagari script

देवो दृष्ट्वाथ वेदांस्तान् अभीरुग्रहयान् भयात् उज्जहार पितॄनार्तान् सुपुत्र इव दुःखितान् //

Transliteration

devo dṛṣṭvātha vedāṃstān abhīrugrahayān bhayāt ujjahāra pitṝnārtān suputra iva duḥkhitān //

Translation

Then the Lord, seeing those Vedas carried off in fear by the bold seizer, rescued the distressed Pitṛs—like a good son who lifts his suffering parents from sorrow.

Word by Word

• devaḥ: the Lord

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• atha: then

• vedān: the Vedas

• tān: those

• abhīru: fearless, bold

• grahayān (≈grahaṇāt/grahītṛṇā): by the seizer/captor

• bhayāt: out of fear/owing to peril

• ujjahāra: lifted out, rescued, brought forth

• pitṝn: the Pitṛs (ancestral fathers)

• ārtān: afflicted, distressed

• suputraḥ iva: like a virtuous son

• duḥkhitān: those in sorrow

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice describing the Lord’s act in the Pralaya/Matsya context)

Entities Mentioned

• Vedas
• Pitṛs
• Lord (Hari/Vishnu implied)
• Veda-stealer (Hayagrīva tradition implied)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Matsya Avatara
• Vedas
• Pitṛs
• Protection

FAQs

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

It portrays Pralaya as a time when sacred order (the Vedas) is endangered and beings like the Pitṛs become afflicted, requiring divine intervention to restore dharma.

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

By comparing the Lord to a “good son” rescuing suffering parents, the verse reinforces filial duty (pitṛ-bhakti) and the responsibility to protect dependents—an ethical model for householders and rulers alike.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-rule detail is stated directly; the ritual takeaway is the elevated status of the Pitṛs and Vedas—supporting Pitṛ rites (śrāddha) and Vedic preservation as core religious obligations.