Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Yayāti’s Forest-Renunciation

Devanagari script

ततस्तु वायुभक्षो ऽभूत् संवत्सरमतन्द्रितः पञ्चाग्निमध्ये च तपस् तेपे संवत्सरं पुनः //

Transliteration

tatastu vāyubhakṣo 'bhūt saṃvatsaramatandritaḥ pañcāgnimadhye ca tapas tepe saṃvatsaraṃ punaḥ //

Translation

Then, untiringly, he lived for a full year subsisting only on air; and again, for another year, he performed austerities seated amid the five fires (pañcāgni).

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tu: indeed/and

• vāyu-bhakṣaḥ: one who ‘feeds on air’ (subsists only on breath)

• abhūt: became/was

• saṃvatsaram: for a year

• atandritaḥ: unwearied, vigilant

• pañca-agni-madhye: in the midst of the five fires (pañcāgni-tapas)

• ca: and

• tapaḥ: austerity/ascetic heat

• tepe: performed (practised)

• saṃvatsaram punaḥ: again for a year

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing an ascetic’s practice within the Matsya Purana’s narrative flow

Entities Mentioned

• Pañcāgni Tapas
• Vāyubhakṣa (air-subsisting ascetic)

Tags

• Tapas
• Asceticism
• Dharma
• Vrata
• Ritual

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights tapas (austerity) as a spiritual power that Purāṇic traditions often present as the means by which sages gain insight, merit, and cosmic efficacy.

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

It models extreme self-restraint and disciplined endurance—qualities the Matsya Purana frequently treats as foundations for righteous rule and ethical living, even if householders practise them in moderated forms (fasts, vows, restraint).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual point is pañcāgni-tapas—an austerity performed amid ‘five fires’ (four fires around and the sun above), a classic rite of heat-endurance used to signify intense penance rather than a Vāstu or temple-building rule.