Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 107

Devanagari script

सरितः सागराश्चैव समाजग्मुश्च सर्वशः हिमशैलो ऽभवल्लोके तथा सर्वैश्चराचरैः //

Transliteration

saritaḥ sāgarāścaiva samājagmuśca sarvaśaḥ himaśailo 'bhavalloke tathā sarvaiścarācaraiḥ //

Translation

Sungai-sungai dan lautan-lautan dari segala arah berhimpun bersama; dan seluruh dunia, beserta semua makhluk bergerak dan tidak bergerak, seakan-akan menjadi satu gumpalan laksana Himālaya.

Word by Word

• सरितः (saritaḥ): rivers

• सागराः (sāgarāḥ): oceans/seas

• च एव (ca eva): and indeed

• समाजग्मुः (samājagmuḥ): came together, converged

• च (ca): and

• सर्वशः (sarvaśaḥ): from all sides/everywhere

• हिमशैलः (himaśailaḥ): the Himālaya, snowy mountain

• अभवत् (abhavat): became/turned into

• लोके (loke): in the world

• तथा (tathā): likewise/so

• सर्वैः (sarvaiḥ): with all

• चराचरैः (carācaraiḥ): moving and unmoving beings (animate and inanimate).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Pralaya description within the Matsya Purana tradition

Entities Mentioned

• Himālaya (Himaśaila)
• rivers (saritaḥ)
• oceans (sāgarāḥ)
• cara-acara (moving and unmoving beings)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic Dissolution
• Flood Imagery
• Puranic Cosmology
• Natural Omens

FAQs

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

It depicts a Pralaya-like condition where waters (rivers and oceans) merge and the differentiated world collapses into a single, undivided mass—an image of dissolution and cosmic leveling.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of preparedness and detachment: rulers and householders should govern and live with awareness of impermanence, using dharma and prudent stewardship rather than assuming the world’s stability is permanent.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; however, the verse’s flood-and-convergence imagery is often used in Purāṇic contexts to justify choosing elevated, stable sites (e.g., mountain-like ground) and prioritizing resilience in sacred and civic construction.