Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

सचन्द्रिके सोपवने प्रदोषे रुतेषु वृन्देषु च कोकिलानाम् शरव्ययं प्राप्य पुरे ऽसुराणां प्रक्षीणबाणो मदनश्चचार //

Transliteration

sacandrike sopavane pradoṣe ruteṣu vṛndeṣu ca kokilānām śaravyayaṃ prāpya pure 'surāṇāṃ prakṣīṇabāṇo madanaścacāra //

Translation

In the moonlit dusk, in garden groves amid the chorus of cuckoos calling in flocks, Madana (Cupid) came within arrow-range of the city of the Asuras; yet, his arrows spent and weakened, he wandered on.

Word by Word

• sa-candrikē: in moonlight, moonlit

• sa-upavanē: with gardens/groves, in a gardened grove

• pradoṣē: at dusk, in the evening twilight

• rutēṣu: in the calls/cries (of birds)

• vṛndēṣu: in groups, in flocks

• ca: and

• kokilānām: of cuckoos

• śaravyayam: the range/flight of arrows, arrow-reach

• prāpya: having reached, attaining

• purē: in/at the city

• 'surāṇām: of the Asuras

• prakṣīṇa-bāṇaḥ: with arrows exhausted, with diminished arrows

• madanaḥ: Madana, Cupid (god of desire)

• cacāra: wandered, moved about.

Speaker

• Suta (narrative voice describing events within the Matsya Purana’s story-cycle)

Entities Mentioned

• Madana (Kama)
• Asuras
• Kokila (cuckoo)

Tags

• Kama
• Mythic Narrative
• Asura City
• Spring Imagery
• Poetic Description

FAQs

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

Nothing directly about pralaya is stated here; the verse is a poetic narrative scene focusing on Madana’s diminished power and his movement toward the Asuras’ city.

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

Indirectly, it serves as a moral-literary reminder that desire (kāma) can wax and wane; in dharma literature this supports self-restraint and governance of the senses, though no explicit royal or household injunction appears in this line.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse mentions an Asura ‘city’ and garden-groves as setting, but it does not prescribe Vastu rules or ritual procedure; it functions as atmosphere rather than technical architecture.