Matsya Purana — Design and Splendour of Tripura: Maya’s Threefold Moving Fortress, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कार्ष्णायसमयं यत्तु मयेन विहितं पुरम् तारकाख्यो ऽधिपस्तत्र कृतस्थानाधिपो ऽवसत् //

Transliteration

kārṣṇāyasamayaṃ yattu mayena vihitaṃ puram tārakākhyo 'dhipastatra kṛtasthānādhipo 'vasat //

Translation

കൃഷ്ണായസമായ (കറുത്ത ഇരുമ്പ്) കൊണ്ട് നിർമ്മിക്കപ്പെട്ടതും മയൻ ഒരുക്കിയതുമായ ആ നഗരത്തിൽ ‘താരക’ എന്ന അധിപൻ, സ്ഥാപിത തലസ്ഥാനത്തിന്റെ ഭരണാധിപനായി വസിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• कार्ष्णायसमयम्: made of black iron/iron-built

• यत् तु: and that indeed

• मयेन: by Maya (the architect/demon-engineer)

• विहितम्: constructed/arranged

• पुरम्: city/fortified town

• तारकाख्यः: named Tāraka

• अधिपः: ruler/lord

• तत्र: there

• कृतस्थान-अधिपः: ruler of the established place/one made lord of the founded seat

• अवसत्: dwelt/resided

Speaker

• Suta (narrator), within the Matsya Purana’s descriptive narration

Entities Mentioned

• Maya
• Taraka
• Pura (fortified city)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Town Planning
• Fortified Cities
• Asura Architecture
• Puranic Geography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it describes construction—an iron-built city made by Maya—and identifies its ruler, indicating a Vastuvidya-style narrative focused on built environments and governance.

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

By stressing an “established seat” and a named “adhipa” (ruler), it reflects the Purāṇic idea that a properly founded capital requires clear sovereignty and administration—core royal duties tied to order, protection, and stable settlement.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it highlights material specification (kārṣṇāyasa—iron construction) and planned founding (kṛtasthāna—an established seat/capital), aligning with Matsya Purana’s Vastuvidya emphasis on deliberate city-making and designated rulership.