Shloka 25

Matsya Purana — The Origin of Yajña in Tretā Yuga and the Debate on Animal Sacrifice vs. Non-...

Devanagari script

इत्युक्तमात्रो नृपतिः प्रविवेश रसातलम् ऊर्ध्वचारी नृपो भूत्वा रसातलचरो ऽभवत् //

Transliteration

ityuktamātro nṛpatiḥ praviveśa rasātalam ūrdhvacārī nṛpo bhūtvā rasātalacaro 'bhavat //

Translation

No sooner had this been spoken than the king entered Rasātala. Though becoming a ruler able to move upward at will, he became one who roamed through Rasātala, the nether regions.

Word by Word

• iti: thus

• ukta-mātraḥ: as soon as it was said/uttered

• nṛpatiḥ: the king

• praviveśa: entered

• rasātalam: Rasātala (a netherworld realm)

• ūrdhva-cārī: one who can move upward/ascend (freely)

• nṛpaḥ: the king

• bhūtvā: having become

• rasātala-caraḥ: one who moves/roams in Rasātala

• abhavat: became

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the king’s action (narrative voice)

Entities Mentioned

• Rasātala
• Nṛpati (the King)

Tags

• Pātāla
• Rasātala
• Kingship
• Puranic cosmology
• Netherworlds

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights Puranic cosmology by depicting Rasātala as an accessible realm and presenting extraordinary mobility (ascending/descending) as a narrative motif rather than a dissolution event.

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

Indirectly, it frames the king as an active seeker and agent who follows instruction immediately (“as soon as it was said”), reflecting the ideal of prompt, disciplined action—an ethical tone often applied to royal conduct in Purāṇic narratives.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its main significance is cosmographical—Rasātala as a named nether realm—useful for contextual indexing of Matsya Purana cosmology rather than temple-building rules.