Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Tripura’s Prosperity

Devanagari script

अथालक्ष्मीरसूया च तृड्बुभुक्षे तथैव च कलिश्च कलहश्चैव त्रिपुरं विविशुः सह //

Transliteration

athālakṣmīrasūyā ca tṛḍbubhukṣe tathaiva ca kaliśca kalahaścaiva tripuraṃ viviśuḥ saha //

Translation

Then Misfortune (Alakṣmī) and Envy (Asūyā), and likewise Thirst and Hunger, and also Kali and Quarrel—all together entered Tripura.

Word by Word

• atha: then

• alakṣmīḥ: misfortune, inauspiciousness (the opposite of Lakṣmī)

• asūyā: envy, spite, fault-finding

• ca: and

• tṛṭ: thirst

• bubhukṣā: hunger

• tathaiva: likewise, in the same manner

• kaliḥ: Kali (the personification of strife/degeneration)

• kalahaḥ: quarrel, contention

• caiva: and indeed/also

• tripuram: Tripura (the triple city/fortress)

• viviśuḥ: entered (perfect/plural)

• saha: together, in company.

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the unfolding of the Tripura narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Alakṣmī
• Asūyā
• Tṛṭ (Thirst)
• Bubhukṣā (Hunger)
• Kali
• Kalaha
• Tripura

Tags

• Kali
• Adharma
• Tripura
• Moral decline
• Personified vices

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic Pralaya; it depicts a moral and social ‘decline’ motif—vices personified (misfortune, envy, hunger, thirst, Kali, quarrel) entering a city, signaling degeneration within a polity or realm.

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

By portraying Kali and Kalaha entering Tripura, the verse implies that rulers and householders must guard against conditions that invite misfortune and conflict—curbing envy, ensuring fair provision (preventing hunger/thirst), and maintaining harmony to keep Kali (degeneration) from taking hold.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; “Tripura” functions primarily as a narrative setting. The takeaway is symbolic: even a well-built stronghold becomes vulnerable when inauspicious forces and social disorder ‘enter’ it.