Matsya Purana — Brahmā’s Four Faces, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

स्त्रीरूपम् अर्धम् अकरोद् अर्धं पुरुषरूपवत् शतरूपा च सा ख्याता सावित्री च निगद्यते //

Transliteration

strīrūpam ardham akarod ardhaṃ puruṣarūpavat śatarūpā ca sā khyātā sāvitrī ca nigadyate //

Translation

Baginda membentuk separuh sebagai rupa perempuan dan separuh lagi sebagai rupa lelaki. Dia menjadi terkenal sebagai Śatarūpā, dan juga disebut sebagai Sāvitrī.

Word by Word

• strī-rūpam: a woman’s form

• ardham: half

• akarot: made, fashioned

• ardham: (the other) half

• puruṣa-rūpavat: having the form of a man

• śata-rūpā: Śatarūpā (the ‘hundred-formed’ one)

• ca: and

• sā: she

• khyātā: known, famed

• sāvitrī: Sāvitrī (a sacred/renowned name, associated with Savitṛ and the Gāyatrī tradition)

• ca: also

• nigadyate: is said, is called

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account)

Entities Mentioned

• Śatarūpā
• Sāvitrī

Tags

• Creation
• Prajāpati
• Śatarūpā
• Cosmogony
• Names and Epithets

FAQs

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

This verse concerns creation (sarga), describing a deliberate differentiation into male and female forms; it does not describe pralaya, but establishes the generative principle that enables lineage and population after creation.

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

By grounding human society in the complementary male–female origin, the verse supports Purāṇic social ethics: household life (gṛhastha-dharma), marriage, and progeny are treated as sacred continuations of cosmic order, which kings are expected to protect through righteous governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-building rule appears here; the primary ritual takeaway is the epithet “Sāvitrī,” which evokes Savitṛ/Gāyatrī associations and the broader Purāṇic emphasis on sacred names used in rites and recitation.