Shloka 38

Matsya Purana — Tripura’s Prosperity

Devanagari script

विनाशम् उपपश्यन्तो ह्य् अलक्ष्म्या व्यापितासुराः तत्रैव दृष्ट्वा ते ऽन्योन्यं सक्रोधापूरितेक्षणाः //

Transliteration

vināśam upapaśyanto hy alakṣmyā vyāpitāsurāḥ tatraiva dṛṣṭvā te 'nyonyaṃ sakrodhāpūritekṣaṇāḥ //

Translation

Seeing their own destruction impending, the Asuras—overwhelmed by Alakṣmī (ill-fortune)—looked at one another there itself, their eyes filled with wrath.

Word by Word

• vināśam: destruction/ruin

• upapaśyantaḥ: perceiving, beholding as imminent

• hi: indeed

• alakṣmyā: by Alakṣmī (misfortune, inauspiciousness)

• vyāpita-asurāḥ: Asuras pervaded/overcome

• tatra-eva: right there, at that very place

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen/looking upon

• te: they

• anyonyam: each other, mutually

• sa-krodha-āpūrita-īkṣaṇāḥ: with eyes filled (āpūrita) with anger (krodha).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account; dialogue context ultimately framed within Matsya’s instruction to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Alakṣmī
• Asuras

Tags

• Pralaya
• Inauspiciousness
• Asura downfall
• Portents
• Karma

FAQs

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

It presents a classic Purāṇic pralaya motif at the psychological level: when Alakṣmī (inauspiciousness) prevails, inner disorder manifests as anger and mutual hostility—an omen and mechanism of collapse.

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

It implies a dharma guideline: rulers and householders should recognize signs of Alakṣmī—rage, factionalism, and mutual suspicion—and counter them through self-control, ethical governance, and auspicious discipline (śānti, restraint, right counsel).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated; indirectly, it supports the ritual principle that inauspicious forces (Alakṣmī) are marked by discord and should be addressed through śānti rites and auspicious observances before undertaking major consecrations or building works.