Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 34
अपहृत्य विमानगणं स कृतो दितिजेन महामरुभूमिसमः कृतवानसि सर्वगुणातिशयं यमशेषमहीधरराजतया //
apahṛtya vimānagaṇaṃ sa kṛto ditijena mahāmarubhūmisamaḥ kṛtavānasi sarvaguṇātiśayaṃ yamaśeṣamahīdhararājatayā //
Après avoir dérobé la troupe des vimānas célestes, ce Daitya fut rabaissé à un état semblable à une vaste étendue désertique. Mais toi, tu as façonné ce vimāna/édifice pour qu’il surpasse toute qualité, se dressant avec une splendeur royale tel le roi des montagnes, aussi élevé et durable que les pics qui portent le monde.
FAQs
It does not describe cosmic Pralaya directly; instead it uses an image of desolation—“like a great desert”—to depict the ruin that follows wrongful seizure, contrasting it with the enduring, mountain-like stability of a properly fashioned structure.
It implies a dharmic principle relevant to rulers and householders: covetous appropriation (stealing prized resources like vimānas) leads to decline, while rightful construction and patronage that perfects ‘all qualities’ brings lasting renown and stability.
The verse praises a vimāna/edifice as ‘surpassing in all qualities’ and ‘mountain-king-like,’ signaling Vāstu ideals of excellence—grandeur, firmness, elevation, and enduring presence—used in Matsya Purana-style architectural commendation.