Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — Yayāti–Aṣṭaka Dialogue: Seniority

Devanagari script

ततः पुरीं पुरुहूतस्य रम्यां सहस्रद्वारां शतयोजनान्ताम् अध्यावसं वर्षसहस्रमात्रं ततो लोकान्परमानभ्युपेतः //

Transliteration

tataḥ purīṃ puruhūtasya ramyāṃ sahasradvārāṃ śatayojanāntām adhyāvasaṃ varṣasahasramātraṃ tato lokānparamānabhyupetaḥ //

Translation

Thereafter he dwelt in the delightful city of Puruhūta (Indra)—the thousand-gated city extending for a hundred yojanas—for the span of a thousand years; and then he attained the highest worlds.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter

• purīm: city

• puruhūtasya: of Puruhūta (Indra)

• ramyām: delightful/beautiful

• sahasra-dvārām: having a thousand gates

• śata-yojanāntām: extending to a hundred yojanas (in extent)

• adhyāvasaṃ: I/he dwelt/sojourned (lived there)

• varṣa-sahasra-mātram: for the measure of a thousand years

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• lokān: worlds/realms

• paramān: highest/supreme

• abhyupetaḥ: attained/reached.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (instructing Vaivasvata Manu in a narrative sequence)

Entities Mentioned

• Puruhūta (Indra)
• Indra’s city (Amarāvatī)

Tags

• Lokas
• Devaloka
• Merit
• Afterlife
• Cosmology

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya; it describes post-merit ascent—residence in Indra’s celestial city and subsequent attainment of higher worlds.

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

It implies the Purāṇic ethic that righteous conduct and merit can lead to svarga (Indra’s realm) and beyond—an indirect reinforcement of dharma as the cause of elevated destinies.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it gives a Puranic city-ideal: a “thousand-gated” metropolis with a stated extent (hundred yojanas), useful for understanding cosmic/idealized urban descriptions rather than practical Vastu prescriptions.