Shloka 41

Matsya Purana — Maya’s War-Counsel to the Danavas and the Moonlit Revels in Tripura

Devanagari script

काञ्चीकलापश्च सहाङ्गरागः प्रेङ्खासु तद्रागकृताश्च भावाः छिन्दन्ति तासामसुराङ्गनानां प्रियालयान् मन्मथमार्गणानाम् //

Transliteration

kāñcīkalāpaśca sahāṅgarāgaḥ preṅkhāsu tadrāgakṛtāśca bhāvāḥ chindanti tāsāmasurāṅganānāṃ priyālayān manmathamārgaṇānām //

Translation

Their jeweled girdles, the perfumed unguents upon their limbs, and the love-moods stirred on the swings by that passion—these, like Madana’s arrows striking their mark, tear apart the hearts of the beloveds of the Asura maidens.

Word by Word

• काञ्चीकलापः: a collection of girdles / jeweled waist-ornaments

• च: and

• सह: together with

• अङ्गरागः: body-unguents, perfumes, cosmetic unctions

• प्रेङ्खासु: on swings (in swing-sport)

• तत्-राग-कृताः: produced by that passion/attachment

• च: and

• भावाः: emotions, amorous expressions

• छिन्दन्ति: they cut, pierce, rend

• तासाम्: of those (women)

• असुर-अङ्गनानाम्: of the Asura women/maidens

• प्रिय-आलयान्: the abodes of the beloved (i.e., hearts/minds of lovers)

• मन्मथ-मार्गणानाम्: of Cupid’s arrows (lit. love-god’s shafts).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice describing events/scene within the Purāṇic account)

Entities Mentioned

• Manmatha (Kāma/Cupid)
• Asura-aṅganāḥ (Asura maidens)

Tags

• Śṛṅgāra
• Alaṅkāra
• Courtly aesthetics
• Purāṇic poetry
• Adornment

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this śloka is a poetic śṛṅgāra-description focused on adornment and love-moods, not on cosmology or pralaya.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal of refined courtly culture—regulated enjoyment (kāma) expressed through decorum, arts, and aesthetics, which a householder or king is expected to patronize without falling into excess.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vāstu or temple-rule appears here; the technical content is aesthetic—ornaments (kāñcī), cosmetics (aṅgarāga), and swing-sport (preṅkhā) as markers of festive, cultured life.