Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

तत्संगमेन तावत्त्वं दैत्यान्हन्तुं न शक्ष्यसे एवं कृते तपस्तप्त्वा सृष्टिसंहारकारिणी //

Transliteration

tatsaṃgamena tāvattvaṃ daityānhantuṃ na śakṣyase evaṃ kṛte tapastaptvā sṛṣṭisaṃhārakāriṇī //

Translation

ما دمتِ باقيةً في تلك الصحبة فلن تقدري على قتل الديتْيَة (Daityas). فإذا تمّ ذلك، وبعد أن تؤدي التقشّف (تَبَس/tapas)، تصير هي عينَ القدرة التي تُحدِث الخلقَ والفناء.

Word by Word

• tat-saṅgamena: by association/companionship with that (person/condition)

• tāvat: so long/as long as

• tvam: you

• daityān: the Daityas (demon clan)

• hantum: to kill/slay

• na: not

• śakṣyase: you are able/you can

• evaṃ: thus/in this manner

• kṛte: when done/when it has been carried out

• tapas: austerity, ascetic heat

• taptvā: having practiced/endured

• sṛṣṭi: creation

• saṃhāra: dissolution/destruction

• kāriṇī: the doer/agent (feminine), she who effects

Speaker

• Likely Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (narrative-style counsel); verse also fits a narrator’s voice describing Devi’s tapas and cosmic function

Entities Mentioned

• Daityas
• Sṛṣṭi (Creation)
• Saṃhāra (Dissolution)
• Tapas (Austerity)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Tapas
• Daityas
• Devi-Shakti
• Cosmic Functions

FAQs

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

It links tapas to cosmic potency: through austerity, the feminine power (śakti) is described as capable of effecting both sṛṣṭi (creation) and saṃhāra (dissolution), implying that pralaya is an aspect of divine agency, not mere chaos.

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

It implies that victory over destructive forces requires right association and disciplined practice. For a king/householder, this translates into avoiding corrupting company, cultivating self-restraint, and undertaking deliberate vows or disciplines before attempting major political or ethical action.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or temple-building rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is the efficacy of tapas (austerity/vows) as a preparatory rite that empowers successful action, a principle often applied in Purāṇic ritual framing.