Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — Inquiry into Yayāti’s Story and the Kacha–Devayānī Episode

Devanagari script

असुरास्तु निजघ्नुर्यान् सुरान्समरमूर्धनि न तान्संजीवयामास बृहस्पतिरुदारधीः //

Transliteration

asurāstu nijaghnuryān surānsamaramūrdhani na tānsaṃjīvayāmāsa bṛhaspatirudāradhīḥ //

Translation

But the Asuras struck down those Devas on the very crest of the battlefield; and Bṛhaspati (Bṛhaspati), noble in mind, did not restore them to life.

Word by Word

• असुराः (asurāḥ): the Asuras/demons

• तु (tu): but

• निजघ्नुः (nijaghnūḥ): struck down, killed

• यान् (yān): whom, those who

• सुरान् (surān): the Devas/gods

• समरमूर्धनि (samara-mūrdhani): at the head/height of battle, in the thick of combat

• न (na): not

• तान् (tān): them

• संजीवयामास (saṃjīvayām āsa): revived, restored to life

• बृहस्पतिः (bṛhaspatiḥ): Brihaspati (preceptor of the Devas)

• उदारधीः (udāra-dhīḥ): noble-minded, magnanimous in intellect

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting events within the Matsya Purana’s battle narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Asuras
• Suras (Devas)
• Brihaspati

Tags

• Deva-Asura war
• Brihaspati
• Battle narrative
• Puranic ethics
• Divine strategy

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss creation or pralaya; it focuses on a Deva–Asura battle episode and highlights that even divine powers like revival are not always exercised.

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

By showing restraint in the use of power (Brihaspati not reviving the fallen), the verse can be read as an ethical cue: authority should be applied with discernment, not merely capability—relevant to a king’s policy and a householder’s judgment.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, iconography, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is purely part of the martial narrative.