Shloka 55

Matsya Purana — Tārakāsura’s Austerity and Boon; Mobilization for War; Bṛhaspati’s Fourfold P...

Devanagari script

कालशुक्लमहामेषम् आरूढः शुम्भदानवः अन्ये ऽपि दानवा वीरा नानावाहनगामिनः //

Transliteration

kālaśuklamahāmeṣam ārūḍhaḥ śumbhadānavaḥ anye 'pi dānavā vīrā nānāvāhanagāminaḥ //

Translation

Mounted upon a great black-and-white ram, the Dānava Śumbha advanced; and other heroic Dānavas too moved forth, riding on mounts of many kinds.

Word by Word

• kāla-śukla: black-and-white

• mahā-meṣam: great ram

• ārūḍhaḥ: having mounted/ascended

• śumbha-dānavaḥ: Śumbha, the Dānava (demon)

• anye api: others also

• dānavāḥ: Dānavas (a class of demons)

• vīrāḥ: heroes/valiant ones

• nānā-vāhana-gāminaḥ: going/advancing with various vehicles/mounts

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the Dānava host (narrative voice within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Śumbha
• Dānavas
• Mahāmeṣa (great ram)

Tags

• Daitya-Dānava warfare
• Puranic battle imagery
• Mythic mounts (vāhana)
• Śumbha episode
• Narrative cataloguing

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it focuses on a war-march scene, describing Śumbha and other Dānavas advancing on various mounts.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a narrative contrast: the organized mobilization of hostile forces underscores why rulers must maintain readiness, protection, and strategic vigilance—core themes often reinforced through Purāṇic warfare episodes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the key technical term is vāhana (mount/vehicle), which is more relevant to mythic symbolism and later iconographic interpretation than to temple-building rules in this specific verse.