Shloka 91

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

Devanagari script

व्यजृम्भत सुखोदर्के ततो मेना महागृहे प्रसुप्तप्रायपुरुषे निद्राभूतोपचारिके //

Transliteration

vyajṛmbhata sukhodarke tato menā mahāgṛhe prasuptaprāyapuruṣe nidrābhūtopacārike //

Translation

Then, as comfort swelled into drowsy heaviness, in Menā’s great household the people seemed as if asleep, and even the attendants’ service turned into a kind of sleep.

Word by Word

• vyajṛmbhata: yawned/expanded/grew manifest

• sukha-udarke: when ease/comfort rose up and intensified

• tataḥ: then

• menā: Menā (a proper name)

• mahā-gṛhe: in the great house/mansion

• prasupta-prāya-puruṣe: where the men/people were almost asleep

• nidrā-bhūta-upacārike: where the acts of attendance/service had become sleep-like (performed as if in sleep).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene

Entities Mentioned

• Menā

Tags

• Narrative
• Enchantment
• Sleep
• Household
• Puranic scene-setting

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe cosmic dissolution; it depicts a local, narrative atmosphere of overpowering comfort leading to widespread drowsiness, suggesting enchantment or lethargy rather than Pralaya.

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

It indirectly warns that excessive comfort can dull vigilance: even household attendants become slack “as if asleep,” implying that orderly service and alertness are essential to well-run household management.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the phrase “Menā’s great house” functions as narrative setting, emphasizing a large, well-appointed household where comfort can induce lethargy.