Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पपात भूमौ निःसंज्ञो भूमिरेणुविभूषितः ततो हाहारवो घोरः सेनयोरुभयोरभूत् //

Transliteration

papāta bhūmau niḥsaṃjño bhūmireṇuvibhūṣitaḥ tato hāhāravo ghoraḥ senayorubhayorabhūt //

Translation

Er stürzte zu Boden, bewusstlos, und sein Leib war mit Erdstaub bedeckt. Da erhob sich aus beiden Heeren ein schrecklicher Klageruf: „hā hā!“

Word by Word

• papāta: fell

• bhūmau: on the ground

• niḥsaṃjñaḥ: unconscious, senseless

• bhūmi-reṇu-vibhūṣitaḥ: adorned/covered with earth-dust

• tataḥ: then

• hāhā-ravaḥ: the cry ‘hā hā’, wailing

• ghoraḥ: terrible, dreadful

• senayoḥ: of the armies

• ubhayoḥ: of both (sides)

• abhūt: arose, occurred

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) / Purāṇic narrator describing the battle scene

Tags

• Battle
• Kshatriya Dharma
• War narrative
• Lamentation
• Dynasties

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it depicts a battlefield moment—an unconscious fall and the ensuing lament from both sides.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the gravity of kṣatriya conflict: the fall of a combatant affects morale and evokes collective response, underscoring the ethical weight and consequences of warfare in royal life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated here; the focus is purely narrative—dust-covered collapse and the armies’ cry.