Matsya Purana — Purūravas Beholds the Divine Himalayan River, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तरंगव्रातसंक्रान्तसूर्यमण्डलदुर्दृशम् सुरेभजनिताघातविकूलद्वयभूषिताम् //

Transliteration

taraṃgavrātasaṃkrāntasūryamaṇḍaladurdṛśam surebhajanitāghātavikūladvayabhūṣitām //

Translation

El orbe del sol se volvió difícil de contemplar, velado por masas de olas que se alzaban; y las aguas quedaron adornadas por dos terribles perturbaciones: los golpes turbulentos producidos por los elefantes de los dioses.

Word by Word

• taraṅga-vrāta: masses of waves

• saṃkrānta: overrun/covered/engulfed

• sūrya-maṇḍala: the solar disk/orb of the sun

• durdṛśam: difficult to look at, scarcely visible

• sura-ibha: the elephants of the gods (celestial elephants)

• janita: produced/caused

• āghāta: blow, impact, violent strike

• vikūla: agitated, turbulent, thrown into disorder

• dvaya: a pair, twofold (dual forms of disturbance)

• bhūṣitām: adorned/marked/characterized by

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the pralaya description within the Matsya Purana’s discourse

Entities Mentioned

• Surya
• Sura-ibha (celestial elephants)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic flood
• Omens
• Ocean turmoil
• Matsya Purana narrative

FAQs

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

It portrays pralaya as a world-engulfing inundation where vast waves blot out the sun and the waters become violently agitated—classic Purāṇic imagery of dissolution through overwhelming cosmic waters.

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

Indirectly, it underscores impermanence: kings and householders are urged in the Purāṇic ethic to practice dharma, charity, and restraint, since even the visible order of nature (like the sun’s clarity) can be overturned in cosmic upheaval.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; however, the verse functions as a textual cue for calamity conditions in which normal rites and settlement stability fail—often motivating Purāṇic emphasis on protective vows, purification, and dharmic preparedness.