Shloka 50

Matsya Purana — Tripura’s Prosperity

Devanagari script

विध्वस्तदेवायतनाश्रमं च संभग्नदेवद्विजपूजकं तु जगद्बभूवामरराजदुष्टैर् अभिद्रुतं सस्यमिवालिवृन्दैः //

Transliteration

vidhvastadevāyatanāśramaṃ ca saṃbhagnadevadvijapūjakaṃ tu jagadbabhūvāmararājaduṣṭair abhidrutaṃ sasyamivālivṛndaiḥ //

Translation

Temples and hermitages were laid waste, and the worship of the gods and of the twice-born (dvijas) was shattered; the whole world was harried by those corrupted through the lord of the gods, like a crop assailed by swarms of bees.

Word by Word

• vidhvasta: destroyed/laid waste

• deva-āyatana: temple/shrine of the gods

• āśrama: hermitage/ascetic dwelling

• ca: and

• saṃbhagna: broken, ruined, overthrown

• deva: gods

• dvija: twice-born (Brahmins and the initiated)

• pūjaka: worship/worshippers/act of honoring

• tu: indeed/but

• jagat: the world

• babhūva: became/came to be

• amara-rāja: king of the immortals (Indra)

• duṣṭaiḥ: by the wicked/corrupted

• abhidrutaṃ: assailed, harried, overrun

• sasyam: crop, standing grain

• iva: like

• ali-vṛndaiḥ: by swarms of bees (or insects).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Indra (Amararāja)
• Deva (gods)
• Dvija (twice-born/Brahmins)
• Āśrama (hermitage)
• Devāyatana (temple)

Tags

• Kali Yuga
• Rajadharma
• Temple destruction
• Brahmin honor
• Adharma

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic Pralaya; it portrays a moral and social “dissolution,” where sacred places (temples, āśramas) and religious order collapse under adharma.

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

It implies a core rajadharma duty: protecting temples, hermitages, and the rightful honoring of deva and dvija; when rulers fail, society is “overrun” like crops by swarms.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse highlights devāyatanas and āśramas as vulnerable sacred institutions—indirectly underscoring the need for proper maintenance, protection, and continuity of ritual worship within temple complexes.