Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 44

Devanagari script

ग्रसनः कटिवस्त्रैस्तु यमं गुह्य बलोद्धतः भ्रामयामास वेगेन प्रचित्तमिव सम्भ्रमः //

Transliteration

grasanaḥ kaṭivastraistu yamaṃ guhya baloddhataḥ bhrāmayāmāsa vegena pracittamiva sambhramaḥ //

Translation

Darauf packte Grāsana —dessen Kraft durch Zorn aufgewühlt war— Yama am Lendentuch bei den Hüften und wirbelte ihn mit heftiger Geschwindigkeit umher, wie Verwirrung einen Geist dreht, der seine Festigkeit verloren hat.

Word by Word

• ग्रसनः: Grāsana (a named being, likely a fierce opponent)

• कटिवस्त्रैः: by/with the waist-cloth (girding garment)

• तु: then/indeed

• यमम्: Yama (Lord of Death)

• गुह्य: at the hidden part/at the loins (guhya-region)

• बलोद्धतः: his strength aroused, intoxicated by power

• भ्रामयामास: caused to whirl, spun around

• वेगेन: with speed/impetus

• प्रचित्तम्: a mind that is unsettled/deranged, unsteady in awareness

• इव: like/as if

• सम्भ्रमः: confusion, agitation, bewilderment.

Speaker

• Suta (or the Purana’s narrator) describing events in third-person narration (combat episode); exact speaker varies by recension, but the verse functions as narrative description rather than direct dialogue.

Entities Mentioned

• Yama
• Grāsana

Tags

• Puranic battle
• Yama
• Daitya conflict
• Mythic narration
• Power and hubris

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is a battlefield image emphasizing overpowering force and disorientation rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it warns about baloddhata—being intoxicated by strength—suggesting that rulers and householders should restrain arrogance and govern the senses, since uncontrolled power leads to chaos and humiliation.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu Shastra or ritual procedure is stated here; the verse is purely narrative, using a psychological simile (confusion spinning the mind) to dramatize combat.