Shloka 24
Matsya Purana — Yuga Durations
भूत्वा सूर्यश्चक्षुषी चाददानो भूत्वा वायुः प्राणिनां प्राणजालम् भूत्वा वह्निर्निर्दहन्सर्वलोकान् भूत्वा मेघो भूय उग्रो ऽप्यवर्षत् //
bhūtvā sūryaścakṣuṣī cādadāno bhūtvā vāyuḥ prāṇināṃ prāṇajālam bhūtvā vahnirnirdahansarvalokān bhūtvā megho bhūya ugro 'pyavarṣat //
Becoming the Sun, he seized away the eyes (the power of sight); becoming the Wind, he drew out the very web of living beings’ breath; becoming Fire, he burned all the worlds; and becoming a cloud once more—fierce indeed—he poured down rain again.
FAQs
It depicts Pralaya as an elemental takeover: the Sun removes sight, Wind extracts life-breath, Fire consumes the worlds, and then fierce clouds unleash rain—showing dissolution as a staged withdrawal and overwhelming of sensory and vital powers.
By stressing the fragility of life and worldly order under cosmic forces, it supports the Matsya Purana’s ethical thrust: a king or householder should rule and live with dharma, detachment, and preparedness—protecting beings while time permits and remembering impermanence.
No direct Vastu or temple rule is stated; the takeaway is contextual: rituals and sacred constructions are framed as time-bound supports for dharma, performed before inevitable cosmic dissolution, reinforcing the Purana’s broader emphasis on correct rites and orderly sacred space.