Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

तदन्तर्भगवानेष सूर्यः समभवत्पुरा आदित्यश्चादिभूतत्वाद् ब्रह्मा ब्रह्म पठन्न् अभूत् //

Transliteration

tadantarbhagavāneṣa sūryaḥ samabhavatpurā ādityaścādibhūtatvād brahmā brahma paṭhann abhūt //

Translation

அந்த (ஆதி தத்துவத்தின்) உள்ளிருந்து பழங்காலத்தில் இப் பகவான் சூரியன் தோன்றினான்; ஆதித்யன் ஆதிபூதன் என்பதால் பிரம்மா வேத-பிரம்மத்தை ஓதிக்கொண்டே உண்டானான்.

Word by Word

• tad-antar: within that

• bhagavān: the divine Lord

• eṣa: this

• sūryaḥ: the Sun

• samabhavat: came into being/arose

• purā: formerly/in the beginning

• ādityaḥ: the solar deity (Āditya)

• ca: and

• ādi-bhūtatvāt: because of being the original/primal element (source of beings)

• brahmā: Brahmā

• brahma: the Veda/sacred utterance/Brahman

• paṭhan: reciting/chanting

• abhūt: became/was manifested

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice, recounting cosmogony within the Matsya Purāṇa frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūrya
• Āditya
• Brahmā
• Brahma (Veda/Brahman)

Tags

• Creation
• Cosmogony
• Sūrya
• Brahmā
• Vedic Recitation

FAQs

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

It presents a sarga (creation) motif: from an earlier primordial state, Sūrya/Āditya manifests, and from that primal causality Brahmā appears, characterized by Vedic recitation—creation proceeding through divine emergence and sacred sound.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma in Vedic authority: Brahmā is portrayed as ‘reciting brahma’ (Veda), implying that social duties (rājadharma and gṛhastha-dharma) should be aligned with śruti-based order and disciplined recitation/learning.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the verse emphasizes brahma-paṭhana (Vedic chanting) as a creative, ordering force—supporting the Purāṇic idea that rites, consecrations, and temple procedures are empowered by correct mantra and recitation rather than by material action alone.