Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — Uma’s Austerities and the Slaying of the Deceiver Asura ĀḌi

Devanagari script

ततो विभूषणान्यस्य वृक्षवल्कलधारिणी ग्रीष्मे पञ्चाग्निसंतप्ता वर्षासु च जलोषिता //

Transliteration

tato vibhūṣaṇānyasya vṛkṣavalkaladhāriṇī grīṣme pañcāgnisaṃtaptā varṣāsu ca jaloṣitā //

Translation

Then, having cast off her ornaments, she wore garments of tree-bark; in the summer she endured the heat of the five fires, and in the rainy season she remained immersed in water.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• vibhūṣaṇāni: ornaments/adornments

• asya: of her/of this person

• vṛkṣa-valkala-dhāriṇī: wearing tree-bark (as clothing)

• grīṣme: in summer

• pañca-agni-saṃtaptā: scorched/afflicted by the austerity of the five fires (pañcāgni-tapas)

• varṣāsu: in the rains/rainy season

• ca: and

• jala-oṣitā: dwelling in water/remaining in water (immersed).

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (narrator) recounting an exemplar of tapas within the Matsya Purana’s dharma discourse (dialogue context not explicit in this single verse).

Entities Mentioned

• Pañcāgni-tapas

Tags

• Tapas
• Vrata
• Asceticism
• Dharma
• Puranic ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya; it highlights tapas—severe bodily austerities—used for purification, merit, or spiritual attainment in the dharma framework.

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

It presents an ascetic ideal (renunciation, endurance, disciplined living) that householders and rulers are encouraged to honor and support; it also functions as a benchmark of self-control that informs ethical governance and personal restraint.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it references pañcāgni-tapas (a fire-austerity) and jalavāsa (dwelling in water) as recognized forms of penance in vrata traditions; it is not a Vāstu/temple-building instruction.