Matsyapurana 130.11

130.11

meruparvatasaṃkāśaṃ mayasyāpi puraṃ mahat
puṣyasaṃyogamātreṇa kālena sa mayaḥ purā //

Sûta said —Thus thinking in his mind, Maya built the Tripura fort according to his designs with materials brought out by divine means He located the fort where he had conceived and the principal entrance gates the other ornamental gateways, the upper storey with their doors court room, sitting room seraglios broad pathways, high roads, lanes, bye-lanes, quadrangular marts, temple of Śiva the tank with banyan trees round it, another tank with steps, wells fruit and flower gardens, assembly rooms, pleasure gardens, resting places, delightful pathways for Dânavas etc, were all laid and built according to the pre-conceived plans This is how the town of Tripura was built by Maya versed in all the sciences about building and town planning, as I am told The town so built by Maya, is known by the name Tripura, so we have heard The fortress of iron built by Maya was fixed as the abode of Târkâsura and Vidyunmālī settled down in the beautiful fortress of silver shining like Moon Maya resided in the fortress of gold built by himself The width of both the cities of Târkâsura and Vidyunmālī was 100 yojanas The great city of Maya shone like the Mount Sumeru —1 11

It was built during the interval occupied by Puṣyāyoga (when the Moon Puṣyā and the forts were in one line in combination) Maya built his Tripura, as Śiva had built his Puṣpaka Vimāna (celestial car). The paths of Maya leading from one fortress to the other were lined with beautiful vases full of wine The iron, gold and silver plaited houses of the Daityas were also built in hundreds and thousands on either sides of the pathways The three cities, then of the Asuras, with hundreds of palatial buildings and decked with various gems rose high according to their will and transcending all the worlds, looked very beautiful, as apartments on the top of a house The fort could be made to go anywhere where Maya would wish It contained pleasure gardens, wells and tanks full of lotuses It abounded with the groves of Aśoka trees with cuckoos and nightingales singing in them There were many painters' studios, quadrangular spaces enclosed by buildings, rows of seventeen or eighteen storeyed houses, with various flags banners, and garlands, all built by Maya —12 17