Shloka 30

Matsya Purana — The Battle at Tripura: Shiva’s Strategy

Devanagari script

मार्जारमृगभीमास्यान् पार्षदान्विकृताननान् दृष्ट्वा दृष्ट्वाहसन्नुच्चैर् दानवा रूपसम्पदा //

Transliteration

mārjāramṛgabhīmāsyān pārṣadānvikṛtānanān dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭvāhasannuccair dānavā rūpasampadā //

Translation

Again and again, seeing those attendants with terrifying, cat- and beast-like faces and grotesque visages, the Dānavas—proud of their own splendid forms—laughed aloud.

Word by Word

• mārjāra: cat

• mṛga: wild beast/animal

• bhīmāsyān: having dreadful mouths/faces

• pārṣadān: attendants/retainers

• vikṛta-ānanān: with distorted/ugly faces

• dṛṣṭvā dṛṣṭvā: having seen again and again

• hasan: laughing

• uccaiḥ: loudly/aloud

• dānavāḥ: the Dānavas (a class of Asuras)

• rūpa-sampadā: with the wealth of beauty / proud of beauty and appearance

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas
• Pārṣadas

Tags

• Asuras
• Puranic narrative
• Mockery
• Iconography
• Mythic beings

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it portrays a moral-psychological moment—Asuric pride (rūpa-sampadā) expressing itself as contempt toward fearsome, deformed attendants.

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

Indirectly, it warns against arrogance and derision: laughing at others’ appearances is a sign of adharma rooted in pride, a trait rulers and householders are repeatedly cautioned to restrain in Purāṇic ethics.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated here; the verse is primarily descriptive, though the imagery (bhīmāsya, vikṛtānana, pārṣada) aligns with Purāṇic iconographic categories used when depicting attendants and fearsome beings in temple art.