Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Tripura’s Prosperity

Devanagari script

संध्याकालं प्रविष्टास्ते त्रिपुरं च भयावहाः समध्यासुः समं घोराः शरीराणि यथामयाः //

Transliteration

saṃdhyākālaṃ praviṣṭāste tripuraṃ ca bhayāvahāḥ samadhyāsuḥ samaṃ ghorāḥ śarīrāṇi yathāmayāḥ //

Translation

Entering at twilight, those fearsome beings entered Tripura; all alike—terrible in aspect—they assumed bodies, as though fashioned according to their own afflictive nature.

Word by Word

• saṃdhyākālam: at twilight

• praviṣṭāḥ: having entered

• te: they/those

• tripuram: Tripura (the triple city/fortress)

• ca: and

• bhayāvahāḥ: fear-causing, dreadful

• samadhyāsuḥ: they assumed/took on (forms)

• samam: equally, alike

• ghorāḥ: terrifying, fierce

• śarīrāṇi: bodies, forms

• yathāmayāḥ: according to (their) disease/affliction/taint, as if shaped by their inner malady

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) narrating to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Tripura

Tags

• Tripura
• Twilight
• Battle-Lore
• Puranic Narrative
• Ritual Timing

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe cosmic pralaya; it depicts a localized, ominous transformation—fearsome beings entering Tripura at the liminal time of sandhyā and assuming dreadful bodies.

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

By highlighting sandhyā (twilight) as a charged, transitional time, it indirectly supports the Purāṇic ethic of vigilance and disciplined conduct at dawn/dusk—times traditionally reserved for restraint, prayer, and protective rites rather than negligence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit ritual marker is sandhyā-kāla (twilight), a key timing in rites; while no Vāstu rule is stated, the verse uses Tripura (a fortified ‘city’) as a narrative setting where liminal time intensifies danger—useful for SEO themes like “Matsya Purana ritual time (sandhya) significance.”