Matsya Purana

अलङ्घनीयं भवतु त्रिपुरं यदि ते प्रियम् विश्वकर्मा इतीवोक्तः स तदा विश्वकर्मणा

'Let Tripura be unassailable, if it pleases you.' Thus addressed by Visvakarma, he then—

उवाच प्रहसन्वाक्यं मयं दैत्यगणाधिपम् सर्वामरत्वं नैवास्ति असद्वृत्तस्य दानव

He spoke, laughing, to Maya, the leader of the demon hosts: Immortality is not granted to one of wicked conduct, O Danava.

तस्माद्दुर्गविधानं हि क्षणादपि विधीयताम् पितामहवचः श्रुत्वा तदैवं दानवो मयः

Therefore, let the construction of a fortress be undertaken at once; hearing the words of the grandsire, the demon Maya did so.

प्राञ्जलिः पुनरप्याह ब्रह्माणं पद्मसम्भवम् यस्तदेकेषुणा दुर्गं सकृन्मुक्तेन निर्दहेत्

With joined palms, he again addressed Brahma, born from the lotus: Whoever destroys the fortress with a single arrow, released just once—

समं स संयुगे हन्याद् अवध्यं शेषतो भवेत् एवमस्त्विति चाप्युक्त्वा मयं देवः पितामहः

Let him slay equally in battle; let the remainder be invulnerable. So be it, said the god, the grandsire, to Maya.

स्वप्ने लब्धो यथार्थो वै तत्रैवादर्शनं ययौ गते पितामहे दैत्या गता मयरविप्रभाः

As in a dream, the vision was obtained and vanished there; when the grandsire departed, the demons left with Maya as their leader.

वरदानाद्विरेजुस्ते तपसा च महाबलाः स मयस्तु महाबुद्धिर् दानवो वृषसत्तमः

From the granting of boons, they rejoiced, and with their great ascetic power; but Maya, the great-minded Danava, was the foremost among bulls.

दुर्गं व्यवसितः कर्तुम् इति चाचिन्तयत्तदा कथं नाम भवेद्दुर्गं तन्मया त्रिपुरं कृतम्

He resolved to build a fortress, and pondered then: How might such a fortress be made by me, since Tripura was constructed by me?

वत्स्यते तत्पुरं दिव्यं मत्तो नान्यैर्न संशयः यथाचैकेषुणा तेन तत्पुरं न हि हन्यते

That divine city will be inhabited by me alone, not by others, without doubt; and as it cannot be destroyed by a single arrow, so it shall be.

देवैस्तथा विधातव्यं मया मतिविचारणम् विस्तारो योजनशतम् एकैकस्य पुरस्य तु

Thus, the gods must arrange, according to my consideration; the extent of each city shall be a hundred yojanas.

कार्यस्तेषां च विष्कम्भश् चैकैकशतयोजनम् पुष्ययोगेण निर्माणं पुराणं च भविष्यति

The breadth of each shall also be a hundred yojanas; at the conjunction of Pushya, the construction will be completed, and the city will be ancient.

पुष्ययोगेण च दिवि समेष्यन्ति परस्परम् पुष्ययोगेण युक्तानि यस्तान्यासादयिष्यति

At the conjunction of Pushya, they will unite in the sky; joined at Pushya, whoever reaches them—

पुराण्येकप्रहारेण शतानि निहनिष्यति आयसं तु क्षितितले राजतं तु नभस्तले

With a single blow, hundreds of ancient cities will be destroyed; one of iron on the earth, one of silver in the sky.

राजतस्योपरिष्टात्तु सौवर्णं भविता पुरम् एवं त्रिभिः पुरैर्युक्तं त्रिपुरं तद्भविष्यति शतयोजनविष्कम्भैर् अन्तरैस्तद्दुरासदम्

Above the silver one, there will be a golden city; thus, with these three cities, Tripura will be formed, joined by hundred-yojana breadths, difficult to approach.

अट्टालकैर् यन्त्रशतघ्निभिश्च सचक्रशूलोपलकम्पनैश्च द्वारैर्महामन्दरमेरुकल्पैः प्राकारशृङ्गैः सुविराजमानम्

Adorned with towers, engines for hurling hundreds of missiles, wheels, spears, and shaking mechanisms, with gates like great Mandara and Meru, and shining rampart peaks.

सतारकाख्येन मयेन गुप्तं स्वस्थं च गुप्तं तडिन्मालिनापि को नाम हन्तुं त्रिपुरं समर्थो मुक्त्वा त्रिनेत्रं भगवन्तमेकम्

Protected by Maya, called Satāraka, secure and guarded, wreathed in lightning—who indeed is able to destroy Tripura, except the one blessed with three eyes?

इति चिन्तायुतो दैत्यो दिव्योपायप्रभावजम् चकार त्रिपुरं दुर्गं मनःसंचारचारितम्

Thus, filled with thought, the demon, by the power of divine means, constructed Tripura, the fortress, moved by the workings of his mind.

प्राकारो ऽनेन मार्गेण इह वामुत्र गोपुरम् इह चाट्टालकद्वारम् इह चाट्टालगोपुरम्

The rampart is here, the path is here or elsewhere, the gateway; here is the towered gate, here is the towered gateway.

राजमार्ग इतश्चापि विपुलो भवतामिति रथ्योपरथ्याः सत्त्रिका इह चत्वर एव च

The royal road is also broad here; streets and lanes, assembly halls, and squares are here as well.

इदमन्तःपुरस्थानं रुद्रायतनमत्र च सवटानि तडागानि ह्य् अत्र वाप्यः सरांसि च

Here within the inner city are shrines to Rudra, and here too are pavilions, ponds, reservoirs, and lakes.

आरामाश्च सभाश्चात्र उद्यानान्यत्र वा तथा उपनिर्गमो दानवानां भवत्यत्र मनोहरः

Here are also gardens and assembly halls, and likewise parks; the delightful promenade of the Dānavas is found here.

इत्येवं मानसं तत्राकल्पयत्पुरकल्पवित् मयेन तत्पुरं सृष्टं त्रिपुरं त्विति नः श्रुतम्

Thus, the city-planner created this city in his mind; we have heard that Maya fashioned this city, called Tripura.

कार्ष्णायसमयं यत्तु मयेन विहितं पुरम् तारकाख्यो ऽधिपस्तत्र कृतस्थानाधिपो ऽवसत्

The city made of black iron was constructed by Maya, and there the lord named Tāraka was established as the ruler.

यत्तु पूर्णेन्दुसंकाशं राजतं निर्मितं पुरम् विद्युन्माली प्रभुस्तत्र विद्युन्माली त्विवाम्बुदः

The city built of silver, shining like the full moon, was ruled by Vidyunmālī, who was resplendent like a rain-cloud.

सुवर्णाधिकृतं यच्च मयेन विहितं पुरम् स्वयमेव मयस्तत्र गतस्तदधिपः प्रभुः

The city made of gold, constructed by Maya, was himself entered by Maya, who became its sovereign lord.

तारकस्य पुरं तत्र शतयोजनमन्तरम् विद्युन्मालिपुरं चापि शतयोजनके ऽन्तरे

Tāraka's city was there, separated by a hundred yojanas, and likewise Vidyunmālī's city was at a distance of a hundred yojanas.

मेरुपर्वतसंकाशं मयस्यापि पुरं महत् पुष्यसंयोगमात्रेण कालेन स मयः पुरा

Maya's own great city resembled Mount Meru; at the conjunction with Puṣya, Maya once created it.

कृतवांस्त्रिपुरं दैत्यस् त्रिनेत्रः पुष्पकं यथा येन येन मयो याति प्रकुर्वाणः पुरं पुरात्

That demon created Tripura, just as the three-eyed one made Puṣpaka; as Maya moved, he built city after city.

प्रशस्तास्तत्र तत्रैव वारुण्यामालयाः स्वयम् रुक्मरूप्यायसानां च शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः

There, in the region of Varuṇa, were excellent mansions by the hundreds and thousands, made of gold, silver, and iron.