Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ततो मुहूर्तमात्रेण ग्रसनः प्राप्य चेतनाम् अपश्यत्स्वां तनुं ध्वस्तां विलोलाभरणाम्बराम् //

Transliteration

tato muhūrtamātreṇa grasanaḥ prāpya cetanām apaśyatsvāṃ tanuṃ dhvastāṃ vilolābharaṇāmbarām //

Translation

Kemudian, dalam sekejap sahaja, Grasana memperoleh kembali kesedaran dan melihat tubuhnya sendiri telah hancur; perhiasan serta pakaiannya terjuntai longgar dan berserabut.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• muhūrta-mātreṇa: in merely a muhūrta/short while

• grasanaḥ: Grasana (proper name)

• prāpya: having attained/regained

• cetanām: consciousness/sense-awareness

• apaśyat: he saw

• svām: his own

• tanum: body

• dhvastām: shattered, ruined, destroyed

• vilola: dangling, loose, wavering

• ābharaṇa: ornaments/jewels

• ambarām: garments/clothing

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) / Purāṇic narrator describing the scene

Entities Mentioned

• Grasana

Tags

• Pralaya
• Suffering
• Aftermath
• Impermanence
• Narrative

FAQs

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

It depicts the immediate human consequence of devastation—after a brief lapse, the character awakens to find bodily and material order broken, underscoring pralaya’s power to reduce external splendor to disarray.

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

By highlighting the fragility of the body and possessions, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of restraint and preparedness—householders and rulers should ground life in dharma and protection rather than vanity or mere display.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule appears; the verse functions as a narrative cue of disorder after calamity, a thematic contrast often used elsewhere in the Matsya Purāṇa before prescribing restoration, rites, or orderly rebuilding.