Shloka 173

Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A...

Devanagari script

पुरःस्थितमपि प्राप्तुं न शेकुरवमर्दिताः अप्राप्य सलिलं भूमौ व्यात्तास्या गतचेतसः //

Transliteration

puraḥsthitamapi prāptuṃ na śekuravamarditāḥ aprāpya salilaṃ bhūmau vyāttāsyā gatacetasaḥ //

Translation

Though water stood right before them, those crushed by exhaustion could not reach it; failing to obtain it, they fell upon the ground—mouths gaping, their awareness slipping away.

Word by Word

• purāḥsthitam api: even though standing in front

• prāptum: to reach/obtain

• na śekuḥ: were not able

• avamarditāḥ: crushed/overpowered (by fatigue, distress)

• aprāpya: not obtaining, failing to reach

• salilam: water

• bhūmau: on the ground

• vyātta-āsyāḥ: with mouths wide open/gaping

• gata-cetasaḥ: with consciousness gone, senseless/unaware

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator), within the Matsya Purana’s Pralaya account

Tags

• Pralaya
• Suffering
• Thirst
• Deluge Aftermath
• Mortality

FAQs

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

It depicts the human (and creaturely) helplessness during Pralaya’s aftermath—life collapses not only from lack of resources but from sheer exhaustion, even when relief (water) is near.

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

Indirectly, it underscores the ethical urgency of protection and relief—kingship and household life are validated by sustaining others in crisis (food, water, shelter), because calamity can render beings incapable even of saving themselves.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual injunction appears in this verse; its takeaway is contextual—Pralaya scenes in the Matsya Purana often frame why dharma, orderly settlement, and rites are necessary in stable times.