Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Inquiry into Taraka’s Slaying and the Prelude to Guha

Devanagari script

वज्राङ्गो नाम दैत्येन्द्रः कस्य वंशोद्भवः पुरा यस्याभूत्तारकः पुत्रः सुरप्रमथनो बली //

Transliteration

vajrāṅgo nāma daityendraḥ kasya vaṃśodbhavaḥ purā yasyābhūttārakaḥ putraḥ surapramathano balī //

Translation

“There was a lord of the Daityas named Vajrāṅga. From which lineage did he arise in former times—he whose son was Tāraka, the mighty one who crushed the hosts of the gods?”

Word by Word

• वज्राङ्गः: Vajrāṅga (lit. ‘one with a thunderbolt-like body’)

• नाम: named/called

• दैत्येन्द्रः: lord of the Daityas (demon-king)

• कस्य: of which/whose

• वंश-उद्भवः: lineage-born, descended from a dynasty

• पुरा: formerly, in ancient times

• यस्य: whose

• अभूत्: was/became

• तारकः: Tāraka (proper name)

• पुत्रः: son

• सुर-प्रमथनः: crusher/subduer of the gods

• बली: mighty, powerful

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (question to Lord Matsya regarding genealogy, as per common Matsya Purana dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Vajrāṅga
• Tāraka
• Daityas
• Suras (Devas)

Tags

• Ancient Indian genealogy
• Daitya dynasties
• Puranic lineages
• Asura-Deva conflict
• Matsya Purana narratives

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on genealogical inquiry—identifying the lineage of the Daitya-king Vajrāṅga and noting his son Tāraka’s hostility toward the gods.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic use of genealogy as moral-political instruction: rulers are remembered by lineage and deeds, and hostile power (like Tāraka’s) becomes a cautionary example of strength used against dharma-aligned order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned in this verse; it is purely dynastic (vaṃśa) and narrative in scope.