Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

स्वयम्भुवा चोद्यमानाश् चोदितेन कपर्दिना व्रजन्ति ते ऽश्वा जवनाः क्षयकाल इवानिलाः //

Transliteration

svayambhuvā codyamānāś coditena kapardinā vrajanti te 'śvā javanāḥ kṣayakāla ivānilāḥ //

Translation

Urged on by Svayambhū (Brahmā), and driven forward by Kapardin (Śiva), those swift horses surge ahead—like the winds that blow at the time of cosmic dissolution.

Word by Word

• svayambhuvā: by Svayambhū (self-born Brahmā)

• codyamānāḥ: being impelled/urged on

• coditena: by the one who has impelled (driven)

• kapardinā: by Kapardin (Śiva, the matted-haired one)

• vrajanti: they go/advance

• te: those

• aśvāḥ: horses

• javanāḥ: swift/rapid

• kṣaya-kāle: at the time of destruction/dissolution

• iva: like

• anilāḥ: winds

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account in the Pralaya context; framed discourse ultimately traces to Matsya’s teaching to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Svayambhū (Brahmā)
• Kapardin (Śiva)
• Anila (wind)
• Kṣaya-kāla (time of dissolution)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic dissolution
• Puranic imagery
• Divine agency
• Eschatology

FAQs

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

It uses kṣaya-kāla imagery to portray irresistible, world-ending momentum—forces move with the speed of dissolution-winds, suggesting Pralaya’s sweeping inevitability under divine cosmic governance.

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

Indirectly, it underscores impermanence: kings and householders should practice dharma, restraint, and preparedness, since worldly power and possessions can be overtaken as swiftly as end-time winds.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual instruction appears; the verse functions as cosmic-poetic context, often used to frame why rites, temples, and dharmic order are upheld in a transient world.