Shloka 197

Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth

Devanagari script

*हिमवानुवाच दुस्तरान्नरकाद्घोराद् उद्धृतो ऽस्मि त्वया मुने पातालादहमुद्धृत्य सप्तलोकाधिपः कृतः //

Transliteration

*himavānuvāca dustarānnarakādghorād uddhṛto 'smi tvayā mune pātālādahamuddhṛtya saptalokādhipaḥ kṛtaḥ //

Translation

Himavān said: “O sage, you have lifted me out of the dreadful, hard-to-cross hell. Raising me up from Pātāla, you have made me the lord presiding over the seven worlds.”

Word by Word

• हिमवान् (Himavān): the Himalaya personified

• उवाच (uvāca): said

• दुस्तरात् (dustarāt): from that which is difficult to cross/escape

• नरकात् (narakāt): from hell

• घोरात् (ghorāt): terrible, dreadful

• उद्धृतः अस्मि (uddhṛtaḥ asmi): I have been lifted/rescued

• त्वया (tvayā): by you

• मुने (mune): O sage

• पातालात् (pātālāt): from Pātāla, the netherworld

• अहम् (aham): I

• उद्धृत्य (uddhṛtya): having raised up

• सप्तलोकाधिपः (saptalokādhipaḥ): lord/overlord of the seven worlds

• कृतः (kṛtaḥ): made, appointed

Speaker

• Himavān (the personified Himalaya Mountain)

Entities Mentioned

• Himavān
• Naraka
• Pātāla
• Sapta-loka (seven worlds)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Cosmology
• Netherworld
• Praise
• Boons

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses Pātāla and Naraka imagery to express rescue and cosmic elevation, reflecting the Purāṇic multi-world cosmology rather than dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it models gratitude and acknowledgment of a benefactor (especially a sage), aligning with Purāṇic ethics: honoring ṛṣis and recognizing righteous upliftment as the basis of legitimate authority.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or temple rule is stated; the verse is primarily cosmological and devotional, invoking sacred-world hierarchy (sapta-loka) often used to frame ritual merit and sacred geography.