Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — The Pushkara Manifestation

Devanagari script

न रेमे ऽथ ततो ब्रह्मा प्रभुरेकस्तपश्चरन् शरीरार्धात्ततो भार्यां समुत्पादितवाञ्छुभाम् //

Transliteration

na reme 'tha tato brahmā prabhurekastapaścaran śarīrārdhāttato bhāryāṃ samutpāditavāñchubhām //

Translation

Then Brahmā, the sovereign Lord, did not delight in solitude; practicing austerity alone, he thereafter brought forth from one half of his own body an auspicious wife.

Word by Word

• न (na): not

• रेमे (reme): rejoiced/delighted

• अथ (atha): then

• ततः (tataḥ): thereafter

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• प्रभुः (prabhuḥ): lord/master

• एकः (ekaḥ): alone

• तपश्चरन् (tapaścaran): practicing austerity

• शरीरार्धात् (śarīrārdhāt): from half of (his) body

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereupon

• भार्याम् (bhāryām): wife/consort

• समुत्पादितवान् (samutpāditavān): produced/manifested

• शुभाम् (śubhām): auspicious, blessed

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) narrating to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual cosmological narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmā
• Bhāryā (consort)
• Śarīrārdha (half-body motif)

Tags

• Creation
• Cosmogony
• Brahmā
• Tapas
• Puranic Genealogy

FAQs

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

It highlights creation (sarga), showing that through Brahmā’s tapas and the impulse to overcome solitude, a creative polarity (consort) is manifested—an essential step for further progeny and cosmic expansion.

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

By portraying the consort as “śubhā” (auspicious) and creation as arising from disciplined tapas, it supports the Purāṇic ideal that household life and lineage should be grounded in self-restraint, sacred intention, and dharmic partnership.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu/temple rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is the primacy of tapas (austerity) as the generative spiritual force that precedes orderly manifestation—an idea often echoed in consecration (pratiṣṭhā) and ritual discipline.