Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — The Terror of Tripura and the Gods’ Hymn to Śiva

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच अशीलेषु प्रदुष्टेषु दानवेषु दुरात्मसु लोकेषूत्साद्यमानेषु तपोधनवनेषु च //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca aśīleṣu praduṣṭeṣu dānaveṣu durātmasu lokeṣūtsādyamāneṣu tapodhanavaneṣu ca //

Translation

Sūta said: When the wicked Dānavas—bereft of right conduct and of evil nature—were laying waste to the worlds, and even the forest-hermitages of the ascetic sages, rich in tapas (tapodhana), were being ravaged,

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)

• uvāca: said

• aśīleṣu: among those without proper conduct/discipline

• praduṣṭeṣu: thoroughly corrupted, depraved

• dānaveṣu: among the Dānavas (demonic beings)

• durātmasu: of evil-minded nature

• lokeṣu: in the worlds/among peoples

• utsādyamāneṣu: being destroyed, devastated

• tapodhana-vaneṣu: in the forests that are the treasure of austerity (ascetics’ hermitages)

• ca: and/also

Speaker

• Sūta (Sūta Gosvāmī / Sūta Ugraśravas, the narrator)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• Dānavas
• Tapodhana (ascetic sages)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Adharma
• Dānavas
• Tapas
• Portents

FAQs

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

It presents classic pre-pralaya conditions: adharma rising, demonic forces dominating, and the orderly life of the worlds—especially ascetic sanctuaries—being violently disrupted.

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

By highlighting the devastation of society and hermitages, it implies a ruler’s dharma: restraining violent, unrighteous powers and protecting sages, sacred spaces, and the moral order that sustains the realm.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not giving Vāstu rules directly, it underscores the sanctity of tapovana-āśramas (ritual and ascetic centers). Their protection is a prerequisite for sustained yajña, tapas, and the continuity of sacred institutions.