Shloka 36

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

Devanagari script

इषुभिस्ताड्यमानास्ते भूयो भूयो गणेश्वराः चक्रुस्ते देहनिर्यासं स्वर्णधातुमिवाचलाः //

Transliteration

iṣubhistāḍyamānāste bhūyo bhūyo gaṇeśvarāḥ cakruste dehaniryāsaṃ svarṇadhātumivācalāḥ //

Translation

Though struck again and again by arrows, those mighty lords of the gaṇas repeatedly caused their bodies to exude a discharge—like a mountain yielding a vein of gold-ore.

Word by Word

• इषुभिः: with arrows

• ताड्यमानाः: being struck/lashed

• ते: they

• भूयः भूयः: again and again

• गणेश्वराः: lords of the gaṇas (Shiva’s hosts)

• चक्रुः/चक्रुस्ते: they made/they produced

• देह-निर्यासम्: bodily exudation/ooze/ichor-like discharge

• स्वर्ण-धातुम्: gold-ore, a vein of gold

• इव: like

• अचलाः: mountains

Speaker

• Suta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle scene (narrative voice)

Entities Mentioned

• Gaṇeśvaras (lords of Shiva’s gaṇas)

Tags

• Battle
• Ganas
• Mythic warfare
• Puranic imagery
• Divine hosts

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya directly; it uses a natural simile (gold-ore from a mountain) to emphasize the gaṇas’ supernatural resilience and the vivid, material imagery typical of Purāṇic battle narration.

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

Indirectly, it models kṣānti (endurance) and steadfastness under attack—qualities praised in Purāṇic ethics for rulers and disciplined householders—though the immediate context is martial description rather than explicit rājadharma instruction.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse’s notable feature is its metallurgical/natural metaphor (gold-ore in a mountain), which can be cross-referenced when studying Purāṇic symbolism used in temple iconography and narrative ornamentation.