Shloka 28

Matsya Purana — Tripura’s Prosperity

Devanagari script

नगरं त्रिपुरं चेदं तमसा समवस्थितम् सगृहं सह युष्माभिः सागराम्भसि मज्जितम् //

Transliteration

nagaraṃ tripuraṃ cedaṃ tamasā samavasthitam sagṛhaṃ saha yuṣmābhiḥ sāgarāmbhasi majjitam //

Translation

This city—Tripura—has been enveloped in darkness; together with its houses, it has been plunged into the waters of the ocean, along with you all.

Word by Word

• नगरम् (nagaram): city

• त्रिपुरम् (tripuram): Tripura (the threefold city/fortress)

• च (ca): and

• इदम् (idam): this

• तमसा (tamasā): by darkness

• समवस्थितम् (samavasthitam): completely pervaded/covered

• सगृहम् (sagṛham): with its houses/dwellings

• सह (saha): together with

• युष्माभिः (yuṣmābhiḥ): with you (all)

• सागराम्भसि (sāgarāmbhasi): in the waters of the ocean

• मज्जितम् (majjitam): submerged/plunged.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (addressing Vaivasvata Manu and his companions)

Entities Mentioned

• Tripura
• Ocean (Sāgara)
• Darkness (Tamas)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Tripura
• Deluge
• Cosmic Darkness
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

It uses pralaya-like imagery—darkness spreading and a city being submerged in the ocean—to signal a phase of overwhelming dissolution where established structures (a fortified city and homes) are engulfed.

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

By portraying even a great city and its households as vulnerable to submergence, it underscores a key Purāṇic ethic: rulers and householders should govern and live with humility, preparedness, and dharma, recognizing the impermanence of worldly security.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, the phrase “with its houses” highlights the totality of destruction—settlement, dwellings, and civic order—often used in Purāṇic texts to contrast human construction with cosmic forces, a reminder that Vāstu and ritual order ultimately depend on maintaining dharma and divine protection.