Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

चकार सप्तधा गर्भं कुलिशेन तु देवराट् एकैकं तु पुनः खण्डं चकार मघवा ततः //

Transliteration

cakāra saptadhā garbhaṃ kuliśena tu devarāṭ ekaikaṃ tu punaḥ khaṇḍaṃ cakāra maghavā tataḥ //

Translation

Then Indra, the king of the gods, with his thunderbolt (kuliśa), split the embryo into seven parts; thereafter Maghavan (Indra) again cut each part into separate pieces.

Word by Word

• चकार (cakāra): made/did

• सप्तधा (saptadhā): into sevenfold/seven parts

• गर्भं (garbhaṃ): the embryo/womb-born foetus

• कुलिशेन (kuliśena): with the thunderbolt (vajra)

• तु (tu): indeed/and

• देवराट् (devarāṭ): the ruler/king of the gods (Indra)

• एकैकं (ekaikaṃ): each one, one by one

• पुनः (punaḥ): again

• खण्डं (khaṇḍaṃ): a piece/fragment

• चकार (cakāra): made/cut

• मघवा (maghavā): Maghavan (Indra, the bountiful one)

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereupon.

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Purana’s mythic account; Indra is the acting figure in the verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Indra
• Devarat (Indra)
• Maghavan (Indra)
• Vajra/Kulisha

Tags

• Indra
• Vajra
• Mythic Etiology
• Deva-Asura
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it narrates a mythic act by Indra using the vajra to divide an embryo, an etiological motif explaining the emergence of multiple beings rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reflects a Purāṇic theme that power (vajra/sovereignty) must be exercised with discernment; later ethical sections of the Matsya Purana contrast such violent mythic acts with the king’s dharmic duty to protect life and uphold order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-architecture rule is stated here; the technical focus is mythic (vajra/kuliśa and division into parts), not ritual procedure or building canons.