Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 150

Devanagari script

तेन ज्वालासमूहेन हिमांशुरगमच्छमम् ततः क्रमेण विभ्रष्टं शीतदुर्दिनम् आबभौ //

Transliteration

tena jvālāsamūhena himāṃśuragamacchamam tataḥ krameṇa vibhraṣṭaṃ śītadurdinam ābabhau //

Translation

Golpeada por aquella masa de llamas ardientes, la Luna (Himāṃśu) perdió su fulgor y quedó apagada; luego, poco a poco, la estación fría se trastornó y prevalecieron días invernales y sombríos.

Word by Word

• tena: by that

• jvālā-samūhena: by the multitude/mass of flames

• himāṃśuḥ: the Moon (the cool-rayed one)

• agamat: went/became

• chamam: calm, subdued, quenched (i.e., diminished in brilliance)

• tataḥ: then

• krameṇa: gradually, in sequence

• vibhraṣṭam: disordered, thrown off course, deranged

• śīta-dur-dinam: harsh/bleak cold days, wintry gloom

• ābabhau: appeared, came to be, prevailed

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice recounting the cosmic portents within the Matsya Purana’s pralaya-related description)

Entities Mentioned

• Himāṃśu (Moon)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Portents
• Cosmic disorder
• Climate
• Celestial phenomena

FAQs

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

It depicts pralaya-like omens: celestial light is overwhelmed and seasonal order breaks down, signaling the world’s rhythms becoming unstable before large-scale dissolution.

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

By highlighting environmental and cosmic instability, it implies the need for preparedness, restraint, and dharmic governance/household discipline during calamities—protecting dependents and sustaining rites despite adverse conditions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu rule is stated, but the omen of prolonged cold and gloom supports ritual emphasis on maintaining agni (sacred fire), protective rites, and season-sensitive observances when natural order is disrupted.