Shloka 131
Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A...
व्यावृत्तवदने ऽगाधे ग्रस्तुमैच्छत् सुरावुभौ निरृतिं वरुणं चैव तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रोत्कटाननः //
vyāvṛttavadane 'gādhe grastumaicchat surāvubhau nirṛtiṃ varuṇaṃ caiva tīkṣṇadaṃṣṭrotkaṭānanaḥ //
With his gaping mouth turned wide in that fathomless deep, the fierce-faced one—terrible with sharp fangs—sought to swallow both of those gods, Nirṛti and Varuṇa.
FAQs
It portrays pralaya as a time of cosmic danger and disorder, where even major deities like Varuṇa are threatened—signaling that dissolution is not merely flooding, but a breakdown of protective cosmic order.
Indirectly, it reinforces the Matsya Purana’s ethical theme that order (ṛta/dharma) must be protected against devouring chaos; for kings and householders, this translates into guarding society through restraint, protection, and adherence to dharma.
No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is symbolic—waters and protective deities (like Varuṇa) are central in ritual imagination, often reflected in purification rites and water-related consecrations, though this verse itself is narrative.