Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Yuga Durations

Devanagari script

ततो ऽहनि गते तस्मिन् सर्वेषामेव जीविनाम् शरीरनिर्वृतिं दृष्ट्वा लोकसंहारबुद्धितः //

Transliteration

tato 'hani gate tasmin sarveṣāmeva jīvinām śarīranirvṛtiṃ dṛṣṭvā lokasaṃhārabuddhitaḥ //

Translation

Then, when that day had passed, seeing that the bodies of all living beings had become inert and lifeless, he—concluding in his mind that the dissolution of the world had arrived—became convinced of universal destruction.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• ahani: on the day (locative of ahan)

• gate: having passed, elapsed

• tasmin: in/when that (day)

• sarveṣām eva: of all indeed

• jīvinām: of living beings

• śarīra-nirvṛtim: bodily cessation, inertness, lifeless stillness

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• loka-saṃhāra: destruction/dissolution of the world

• buddhitaḥ: from thought, by understanding, in his conviction

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the perceiver’s reaction within the Pralaya account (dialogue context typically leading into Matsya–Manu teaching)

Entities Mentioned

• All living beings (jīvin)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Portents
• Cosmic Dissolution
• Omens
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

It presents a key pralaya-omen: widespread bodily stillness or lifelessness among beings, prompting the conclusion that loka-saṃhāra (world-dissolution) is underway.

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

By framing calamity as a signal requiring discernment, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of preparedness—responding to ominous conditions with protective action, restraint, and seeking divine/wise guidance rather than panic.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-rule detail appears in this verse; its practical takeaway is diagnostic—recognizing inauspicious signs that, elsewhere in the Matsya Purana, would trigger expiatory rites (śānti) and protective observances.