Shloka 98

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

Devanagari script

ध्वजं शतक्रतोरासीत् सितचामरमण्डितम् सनागयक्षगन्धर्वम् अहोरगनिशाचरा //

Transliteration

dhvajaṃ śatakratorāsīt sitacāmaramaṇḍitam sanāgayakṣagandharvam ahoraganiśācarā //

Translation

The banner of Śatakratu (Indra) was adorned with a white yak-tail fan (cāmara), and it was attended by Nāgas, Yakṣas, and Gandharvas, as well as by serpents and night-roaming beings (niśācaras).

Word by Word

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard

• शतक्रतोः: of Śatakratu (Indra)

• आसीत्: was/existed

• सित: white

• चामर: yak-tail fan (cāmara)

• मण्डितम्: adorned/ornamented

• स-नाग: together with Nāgas

• यक्ष: Yakṣas (tutelary/treasure-guarding beings)

• गन्धर्वम्: Gandharvas (celestial musicians)

• अहोरग: great serpents/serpent-beings

• निशाचरा: night-wanderers (nocturnal beings, often rākṣasa-class attendants)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) reporting the Matsya Purāṇa’s iconographic/ceremonial description (within the broader Matsya–Manu discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Nāgas
• Yakṣas
• Gandharvas
• Ahoragas (serpent beings)
• Niśācaras (night-roamers)

Tags

• Iconography
• Dhvaja
• Royal Insignia
• Ritual Display
• Puranic Cosmology

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it depicts Indra’s ceremonial banner and its mythic attendants, reflecting the Purāṇic cosmos populated by divine and semi-divine beings.

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

It supports the ideal of proper royal/ritual display: standards (dhvaja) and emblems should be maintained with prescribed auspicious adornments (like the white cāmara), mirroring dharmic kingship and orderly public rites.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse highlights the dhvaja as a formal ritual insignia; in temple and festival contexts it aligns with dhvaja/dhvaja-stambha traditions where banners and auspicious accessories (cāmara) signify authority, protection, and divine presence.