Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

देववेश्मप्रभङ्गाश्च आश्रमभ्रंशनानि च दानवैर्लोममोहान्धैः क्रियन्ते च भ्रमन्ति च //

Transliteration

devaveśmaprabhaṅgāśca āśramabhraṃśanāni ca dānavairlomamohāndhaiḥ kriyante ca bhramanti ca //

Translation

Temples of the gods are shattered, and hermitages (āśramas) are brought to ruin; deluded Dānavas—blinded by wild frenzy—commit these acts and roam about in disorder.

Word by Word

• deva-veśma: temple/abode of the gods

• prabhaṅga: breaking, shattering, destruction

• ca: and

• āśrama: hermitage, sacred retreat

• bhraṁśana: downfall, ruin, causing to fall

• dānavaiḥ: by the Dānavas (demonic beings)

• loma-moha: violent confusion/frenzied delusion (lit. hair-raising bewilderment)

• andhaiḥ: by the blind/benighted

• kriyante: are done/are carried out

• ca: and

• bhramanti: wander, roam, move about erratically

• ca: and.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution for this discourse section)

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas
• Deva (as ‘deva-veśma’, temples of the gods)
• Āśramas (hermitages)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Adharma
• Temple-destruction
• Portents
• Demonic-forces

FAQs

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

It describes social and sacred breakdown as a sign of approaching dissolution: demonic forces destroy temples and ashramas and spread chaos—classic Purāṇic markers of a world slipping into adharma before major upheaval.

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

It implies a king’s protective duty (rāja-dharma) to safeguard temples, hermitages, and religious communities from violent disruption; for householders, it underscores supporting and defending dharmic institutions and teachers.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse highlights the sanctity of deva-veśmas (temples) and āśramas as protected dharmic sites; their destruction signals not just physical damage but the collapse of ritual order (yajña, worship, and ascetic practice) tied to these spaces.