Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 153

Devanagari script

जित एष शशाङ्को ऽत्र यद्बलं वयमाश्रिताः इत्युक्तश्चोदयामास रथं गरुडपूर्वजः //

Transliteration

jita eṣa śaśāṅko 'tra yadbalaṃ vayamāśritāḥ ityuktaścodayāmāsa rathaṃ garuḍapūrvajaḥ //

Translation

„Hier ist der Mond bezwungen, denn wir haben Zuflucht zu eben jener Macht genommen.“ So sprechend trieb Garuḍas älterer Bruder seinen Wagen voran.

Word by Word

• jitaḥ: conquered/overcome

• eṣaḥ: this (one)

• śaśāṅkaḥ: the Moon (literally ‘hare-marked’)

• atra: here/in this place

• yad-balam: that power/strength

• vayam: we

• āśritāḥ: having taken refuge in/depending upon

• iti: thus

• uktaḥ: having said

• ca: and

• codayām āsa: urged on/drove forward

• ratham: the chariot

• garuḍa-pūrvajaḥ: the elder brother of Garuḍa (Aruna).

Speaker

• Narrator (Sūta-style Purāṇic narration; specific speaker not explicit in the verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Śaśāṅka (Moon)
• Garuḍa
• Aruṇa (Garuḍa-pūrvaja, elder brother of Garuḍa)

Tags

• Dynasties
• Heroic narrative
• Chariot warfare
• Puranic symbolism
• Matsya Purana episode

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it belongs to a heroic narrative moment, using the Moon (Śaśāṅka) as a poetic emblem of a force being ‘overcome’ through reliance on a greater power.

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

Indirectly, it reflects a kṣatriya-style ethic: confidence grounded in ‘āśraya’ (right support/refuge) and decisive action (driving the chariot forward), themes often used in the Matsya Purana to frame righteous resolve in conflict.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure appears in this verse; its significance is narrative and symbolic rather than architectural.