Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

ततो भगवती रात्रिर् उपतस्थे पितामहम् तां विविक्ते समालोक्य ब्रह्मोवाच विभावरीम् //

Transliteration

tato bhagavatī rātrir upatasthe pitāmaham tāṃ vivikte samālokya brahmovāca vibhāvarīm //

Translation

Alors la vénérable déesse Nuit s’approcha de Pitāmaha. La voyant dans la solitude, Brahmā s’adressa à celle qui apporte la nuit, Vibhāvarī.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• bhagavatī: revered, divine (goddess)

• rātriḥ: Night

• upatasthe: approached, attended upon

• pitāmaham: Pitāmaha, Brahmā (the Grandfather)

• tāṃ: her

• vivikte: in a secluded place, in privacy

• samālokya: having looked at, observing

• brahmā: Brahmā

• uvāca: said, spoke

• vibhāvarīm: Vibhāvarī, the night-bringing one (an epithet of Night).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene; Brahmā is about to speak

Entities Mentioned

• Rātri (Goddess Night)
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Vibhāvarī

Tags

• Creation
• Cosmogony
• Deities
• Brahmā
• Personification

FAQs

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

It points to cosmic order through personified time (Night) approaching Brahmā—an element of creation’s regulation rather than a direct description of Pralaya.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic of aligning conduct with time and order—day/night discipline (rest, restraint, and proper timing of duties) mirrors cosmic governance under Brahmā.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or temple-rule appears in this verse; its ritual takeaway is the sacrality of time—night as a divine principle relevant to timing of rites (kāla-śuddhi).