Shloka 2
Matsya Purana — Tripura Takes Refuge in the Ocean; Maya’s Hidden Nectar-Reservoir and the God...
शीर्णदंष्ट्रा यथा नागा भग्नशृङ्गा यथा वृषाः यथा विपक्षाः शकुना नद्यः क्षीणोदका यथा //
śīrṇadaṃṣṭrā yathā nāgā bhagnaśṛṅgā yathā vṛṣāḥ yathā vipakṣāḥ śakunā nadyaḥ kṣīṇodakā yathā //
Like serpents whose fangs have worn away, like bulls whose horns are broken, like birds whose wings are impaired, and like rivers whose waters have dwindled—so too one becomes weakened and powerless when strength and supports are lost.
FAQs
This verse is not a direct Pralaya description; it uses natural images (depleted rivers, impaired creatures) to illustrate diminution—an idea that can analogically mirror decline during times of disorder, but the focus here is moral-political weakening rather than cosmic dissolution.
It warns that power depends on intact “supports” (resources, discipline, allies, and capability). A king who lets these supports erode becomes as ineffective as a fangless serpent or a river run dry—implying the duty to preserve strength through dharma, prudent governance, and protection of resources.
No explicit Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the closest takeaway is the resource metaphor of “rivers with diminished water,” which can be read as a general reminder that sustaining material foundations (water, prosperity, supplies) is essential for any stable settlement or ritual economy.