Matsya Purana — Vishnu’s Battle with the Daityas: Astra-Combat, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अश्वारूढश्च मथनो जम्भकश्चोष्ट्रवाहनः शुम्भो ऽपि विपुलं मेषं समारुह्याव्रजद्रणम् //

Transliteration

aśvārūḍhaśca mathano jambhakaścoṣṭravāhanaḥ śumbho 'pi vipulaṃ meṣaṃ samāruhyāvrajadraṇam //

Translation

Mathana, auf einem Pferd reitend, und Jambhaka, auf einem Kamel, brachen auf; und auch Śumbha, der einen gewaltigen Widder bestiegen hatte, marschierte zum Schlachtfeld.

Word by Word

• aśvārūḍhaḥ: mounted on a horse

• ca: and

• mathanaḥ: (the asura named) Mathana

• jambhakaḥ: (the asura named) Jambhaka

• ca: and

• uṣṭra-vāhanaḥ: having a camel as his mount / camel-rider

• śumbhaḥ: Śumbha

• api: also/too

• vipulam: very large, huge

• meṣam: ram

• samāruhya: having mounted

• avrajat: went forth, marched

• raṇam: to battle, to the battlefield

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle preparations (narrative voice)

Entities Mentioned

• Mathana
• Jambhaka
• Śumbha
• Horse
• Camel
• Ram (Meṣa)

Tags

• Asura-army
• Battle
• Mounts
• Iconography
• Purāṇic narrative

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a battlefield scene describing asura leaders and their mounts, not cosmic creation or pralaya.

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

Indirectly, it functions as narrative context: Purāṇic battle descriptions typically frame the need for righteous protection (kṣātra-dharma), but this specific line only lists who rode which mount and that they advanced to battle.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the main technical detail is iconographic—associating named figures with specific vāhanas (mounts), useful for identifying them in Purāṇic storytelling and visual traditions.