Shloka 95

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

Devanagari script

ध्वजं समुच्छ्रितं भाति गन्तुकाममिवाम्बरम् वृकेण काष्ठलोहेन यमस्यासीन्महाध्वजः //

Transliteration

dhvajaṃ samucchritaṃ bhāti gantukāmamivāmbaram vṛkeṇa kāṣṭhalohena yamasyāsīnmahādhvajaḥ //

Translation

Raised aloft, the banner shone as if it wished to depart into the sky. That great banner of Yama was fastened with wolf-hide, timber, and iron.

Word by Word

• ध्वजम्: banner, standard

• समुच्छ्रितम्: raised high, hoisted

• भाति: shines, appears splendid

• गन्तुकामम्: desiring to go, as if about to depart

• इव: as if

• अम्बरम्: the sky, firmament

• वृकेण: with wolf(-skin)/by means of wolf-hide

• काष्ठ-लोहेन: with wood and iron (materials/fastenings)

• यमस्य: of Yama

• आसीत्: was

• महाध्वजः: great banner, mighty standard

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing Yama’s insignia within the Matsya Purana’s discourse context

Entities Mentioned

• Yama

Tags

• Afterlife
• Yama
• Iconography
• Dharma
• Naraka

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic dissolution directly; instead, it depicts Yama’s ominous standard as a moral-eschatological sign, emphasizing the post-death order that operates across cycles of creation and dissolution.

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

By vividly presenting Yama’s authority and the inevitability of judgment, the verse functions as a deterrent: kings and householders are urged toward dharma—truthfulness, restraint, rightful governance, and ethical conduct—to avoid fearful consequences after death.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse is primarily iconographic rather than architectural: it specifies the material character of Yama’s great banner (wolf-hide, wood, iron), which can inform ritual/visual depictions of Yama’s emblems in Purāṇic tradition.