Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 46

Devanagari script

ततो मुष्टिभिरन्योन्यं निर्दयौ तौ निजघ्नतुः दैत्येन्द्रस्यातिकायत्वात् ततः श्रान्तभुजो यमः //

Transliteration

tato muṣṭibhiranyonyaṃ nirdayau tau nijaghnatuḥ daityendrasyātikāyatvāt tataḥ śrāntabhujo yamaḥ //

Translation

Dann schlugen die beiden, erbarmungslos, einander mit den Fäusten. Doch wegen der riesenhaften Gestalt des Fürsten der Daityas wurden Yamas Arme daraufhin müde.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• muṣṭibhiḥ: with fists

• anyonyam: each other/mutually

• nirdayau: pitiless/merciless (the two)

• tau: those two

• nijaghnatuḥ: struck/smote (dual)

• daitya-indrasya: of the Daitya-king/lord of the demons

• ati-kāyatvāt: due to excessive size/huge-bodiedness

• tataḥ: thereafter

• śrānta-bhujaḥ: with wearied arms

• yamaḥ: Yama (lord of death)

Speaker

• Suta/Narrator (Puranic narration of the combat episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Yama
• Daityendra (Daitya-king)

Tags

• Deva–Asura war
• Combat
• Puranic narrative
• Strength and fatigue
• Mythic genealogy context

FAQs

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

This verse does not address creation or Pralaya; it focuses on a martial episode, highlighting physical exertion and the overwhelming size of a Daitya-king even against Yama.

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

Indirectly, it illustrates a kṣātra ideal valued in Puranic ethics—steadfastness in conflict—while also implying a practical lesson: strength and endurance matter, and even powerful agents can tire when facing disproportionate force.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu Shastra, temple iconography, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is purely a combat description within the Matsya Purana’s mythic narrative.