Shloka 59

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

Devanagari script

ऊर्ध्वबाहुः स दैत्येन्द्रो ऽचरदब्दसहस्रकम् कालं कमलपत्त्राक्षः शुद्धबुद्धिर् महातपाः //

Transliteration

ūrdhvabāhuḥ sa daityendro 'caradabdasahasrakam kālaṃ kamalapattrākṣaḥ śuddhabuddhir mahātapāḥ //

Translation

That lord of the Daityas, with arms held aloft, performed severe austerity for a full thousand years; lotus-leaf–eyed, pure in mind and understanding, he was a great ascetic.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-bāhuḥ: with uplifted arms

• sa: he

• daitya-indraḥ: lord of the Daityas (chief among demons/asuras)

• acarat: practiced/performed

• abda-sahasrakam: a thousand years

• kālam: for a period/time

• kamala-pattra-akṣaḥ: lotus-leaf–eyed

• śuddha-buddhiḥ: of purified intellect/mind

• mahā-tapāḥ: one of great austerity (great ascetic).

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the episode (likely within Matsya’s instruction framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Daityendra (chief of the Daityas)

Tags

• Tapas
• Austerity
• Asura narratives
• Boons
• Puranic ethics

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it highlights tapas (austerity) as a cosmic-force practice capable of producing transformative results in later events.

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

It underscores disciplined self-control and long-term resolve—virtues praised in the Matsya Purana for rulers and householders alike, though here shown through an extreme ascetic model.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-architecture rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is the archetype of rigorous vrata-like austerity (ūrdhvabāhu-tapas) performed over a fixed sacred timespan.