Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

अम्बुदैराकुलमिव हंसाकुलमिवाम्बरम् दानवाकुलमत्यर्थं तत्पुरं सकलं बभौ //

Transliteration

ambudairākulamiva haṃsākulamivāmbaram dānavākulamatyarthaṃ tatpuraṃ sakalaṃ babhau //

Translation

That entire city appeared utterly crowded with Dānavas—like the sky thronged with rain-clouds, like the heavens filled with flocks of swans.

Word by Word

• अम्बुदैः: with rain-clouds

• आकुलम्: crowded, agitated, filled

• इव: like

• हंसाकुलम्: filled with swans (flocks of haṃsas)

• अम्बरम्: the sky/heavens

• दानवाकुलम्: crowded with Dānavas (demonic beings)

• अत्यर्थम्: exceedingly, to a great extent

• तत्: that

• पुरम्: city

• सकलम्: entire, whole

• बभौ: appeared, shone/seemed

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene (contextual narration within the Matsya Purana’s royal/daitya-dānava episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Dānava

Tags

• Dynasties
• War
• Daitya-Dānava
• City
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses cosmic imagery (cloud-filled sky) as a simile to convey overwhelming numbers, not dissolution.

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

Implicitly, it frames a crisis of public order: a city swarmed by hostile forces. In Purāṇic ethics, such scenes underscore a king’s duty to protect citizens and restore dharma through defense and governance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the verse is a poetic city-description. Its takeaway for cultural history is how Purāṇas depict urban spaces as vulnerable to invasion and mass movement.