Shloka 31

Matsya Purana — Description of the Daitya–Dānava War Preparations and Maya’s Divine Chariots

Devanagari script

एतद्दानवसैन्यं तत् सर्वं युद्धमदोत्कटम् देवानभिमुखे तस्थौ मेघानीकमिवोद्धतम् //

Transliteration

etaddānavasainyaṃ tat sarvaṃ yuddhamadotkaṭam devānabhimukhe tasthau meghānīkamivoddhatam //

Translation

That entire host of the Dānavas—fierce with the intoxication of battle—stood facing the gods, swelling up like a mass of storm-clouds.

Word by Word

• etat: this

• dānava-sainyam: army/host of the Dānavas

• tat: that

• sarvam: all/entire

• yuddha-mada-utkaṭam: exceedingly fierce due to the pride/intoxication of war

• devān-abhimukhe: facing toward the Devas

• tasthau: stood/arrayed itself

• megha-anīkam: a mass/column of clouds (cloud-host)

• iva: like/as if

• uddhatam: risen up, surging, swelling

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the battlefield scene

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas
• Devas

Tags

• Deva-Asura War
• Battle Imagery
• Puranic Warfare
• Mythic Armies
• Matsya Purana Narrative

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses a storm-cloud simile to convey the swelling, ominous power of the Dānava army in a war narrative.

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

Indirectly, it illustrates the psychology of conflict—“yuddha-mada” (war-intoxication)—a cautionary motif in Purāṇic ethics that rulers should avoid arrogance and assess threats soberly.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is a poetic battlefield description emphasizing formation and intimidation through the cloud-mass comparison.