Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

उद्यानानि च भग्नानि नन्दनादीनि यानि च वराश्चाप्सरसः सर्वा रम्भाद्या दनुजैर्हृताः //

Transliteration

udyānāni ca bhagnāni nandanādīni yāni ca varāścāpsarasaḥ sarvā rambhādyā danujairhṛtāḥ //

Translation

The pleasure-gardens too were shattered—those such as Nandana and the rest; and all the foremost Apsarases, beginning with Rambhā, were carried off by the Dānavas.

Word by Word

• udyānāni: gardens/pleasure-groves

• ca: and

• bhagnāni: broken, ruined

• nandanādīni: Nandana and others (Indra’s celestial gardens)

• yāni: which

• ca: and

• varāḥ: the best, excellent ones

• ca: and

• apsarasaḥ: Apsarases (celestial nymphs)

• sarvāḥ: all

• rambhā-ādyāḥ: beginning with Rambhā

• danujaiḥ: by the Danuja/Dānava demons

• hṛtāḥ: taken away, abducted

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages), within the larger Matsya Purāṇa dialogue tradition

Entities Mentioned

• Nandana
• Apsarases
• Rambhā
• Dānavas (Danujas)

Tags

• Heavenly realms
• Daitya-Dānava conflict
• Apsaras abduction
• Cosmic disorder
• Indra’s Nandana

FAQs

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

It depicts a breakdown of divine order in Svarga—ruined celestial gardens and abducted Apsarases—an omen-like motif often used in Purāṇas to signal cosmic imbalance that precedes restoration (and, in broader frames, pralaya-like disorder).

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

By contrast, it highlights the ideal of protection and order: when rulers (or guardians) fail, spaces meant for delight and culture are destroyed and the vulnerable are seized—implying a king’s dharma to secure realms and prevent adharma from overrunning society.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Indirectly, it underscores the sanctity of designed sacred/pleasure landscapes (udyānas like Nandana). In Vāstu and ritual culture, well-ordered gardens and precincts symbolize harmony; their ruin signifies the loss of auspicious order that must be ritually and politically restored.