Matsya Purana — Intermediate Dissolution, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

*मत्स्य उवाच महाप्रलयकालान्त एतदासीत्तमोमयम् प्रसुप्तमिव चातर्क्यम् अप्रज्ञातमलक्षणम् //

Transliteration

*matsya uvāca mahāpralayakālānta etadāsīttamomayam prasuptamiva cātarkyam aprajñātamalakṣaṇam //

Translation

Matsya nói: Vào lúc kết thúc thời kỳ Đại Tiêu Diệt, vũ trụ này tồn tại như chính bóng tối—tựa như đang ngủ, vượt ngoài suy luận, không thể nhận biết, và không có dấu hiệu phân biệt nào.

Word by Word

• मत्स्य उवाच (matsya uvāca): Matsya said

• महाप्रलय-काल-अन्ते (mahāpralaya-kāla-ante): at the end of the time of the great dissolution

• एतत् (etat): this (cosmos/that state)

• आसीत् (āsīt): was/existed

• तमोमयम् (tamomayam): consisting of darkness, made of tamas

• प्रसुप्तम् इव (prasuptam iva): as if asleep

• च (ca): and

• अतर्क्यम् (atarkyam): beyond reasoning, not graspable by logic

• अप्रज्ञातम् (aprajñātam): unknown, unrecognized

• अलक्षणम् (alakṣaṇam): without characteristics/signs, featureless

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Matsya Avatara of Vishnu)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Mahapralaya

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmology
• Tamas
• Creation-Prelude
• Matsya-Avatara

FAQs

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

It describes Mahāpralaya as a condition where the universe becomes tamas-dominant—featureless, unknowable, and like a cosmic sleep—indicating the collapse of all differentiating forms prior to re-creation.

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

Indirectly, it frames worldly order (dharma, governance, household life) as possible only when creation is manifest and distinguishable; it encourages humility and detachment by reminding rulers and householders that all structures dissolve in time.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is stated explicitly; the verse instead provides the cosmological premise that ritual order and vastu/temple forms require a manifest world with lakṣaṇa (defining features), which is absent during Mahāpralaya.