Shloka 33

Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution

Devanagari script

जरायुर्मेरुमुख्याश् च शैलास् तस्याभवंस् तदा / यद् औल्बं तद् अभून् मेघस् तडित्सङ्घातमण्डलम् //

Transliteration

jarāyurmerumukhyāś ca śailās tasyābhavaṃs tadā / yad aulbaṃ tad abhūn meghas taḍitsaṅghātamaṇḍalam //

Translation

تب اس کا جَرایُو (رحمی پردہ) مِیرو کو سرفہرست رکھ کر پہاڑ بن گیا؛ اور جو اَولب (جنینی جھلی) تھا وہ بادلوں کے تودے میں بدل کر بجلی کے اجتماع کا حلقہ بن گیا۔

Word by Word

• jarāyuḥ: placenta/afterbirth

• meru-mukhyāḥ: with Meru as the chief

• ca: and

• śailāḥ: mountains

• tasya: of it/of that (primordial being/embryo)

• abhavan: became

• tadā: then

• yat: which/what

• aulbam: the caul/embryonic membrane

• tat: that

• abhūt: became

• meghaḥ: cloud

• taḍit: lightning

• saṅghāta: collection/mass

• maṇḍalam: circle/orb/expanse

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice summarizing the cosmogonic description within the Matsya Purana’s early creation account)

Entities Mentioned

• Meru
• Śailāḥ (mountains)
• Megha (clouds)
• Taḍit (lightning)

Tags

• Sarga
• Cosmology
• Creation imagery
• Mount Meru
• Atmospheric phenomena

FAQs

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

It presents a creation-style mapping of cosmic features onto a primordial ‘embryonic’ body: mountains arise from the jarāyu (placenta), while clouds and lightning form from the aulba (caul), emphasizing organic, bodily imagery for world-formation rather than a literal anatomical claim.

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

Indirectly, it frames nature (mountains, clouds, lightning) as ordered parts of a single cosmic process; in the Matsya Purana’s ethical worldview, this supports dharmic living—rule and household management should align with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma), respecting the stability of mountains and the seasonal power of clouds.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Though not a Vāstu rule, it foregrounds Meru and mountains as archetypal ‘axis’ and stability symbols; later Vāstu and temple-planning sections often echo this idea by treating the temple as a microcosmic mountain (Meru-like), oriented and stabilized to mirror cosmic structure.