Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

चन्द्रोदयात्समुद्भूतः पौर्णमास इवार्णवः त्रिपुरं प्रभवत् तद्वद् भीमरूपमहासुरैः //

Transliteration

candrodayātsamudbhūtaḥ paurṇamāsa ivārṇavaḥ tripuraṃ prabhavat tadvad bhīmarūpamahāsuraiḥ //

Translation

As the ocean swells up at the rising of the moon on the full-moon night, so too did Tripura come into mighty being—brought forth by the great asuras of dreadful form.

Word by Word

• candrodayāt: from the moon’s rising

• samudbhūtaḥ: arisen, surged forth

• paurṇamāsaḥ: the full-moon (time/night)

• iva: like

• arṇavaḥ: the ocean

• tripuram: Tripura (the ‘three cities/fortresses’)

• prabhavat: came into being, manifested, grew powerful

• tadvad: in the same way

• bhīma-rūpa: of terrifying form

• mahā-asuraiḥ: by the great demons/asuras

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic account (within the Matsya Purana’s narrative frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Chandra (Moon)
• Arṇava (Ocean)
• Tripura
• Mahāsuras (great asuras)

Tags

• Tripura
• Asura-mythology
• Cosmic simile
• Shaiva cycle
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses a cosmic image (the ocean swelling at full moon) to convey sudden expansion and formidable emergence—here, the rise of Tripura through asuric power.

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

Indirectly, it warns that power can rapidly consolidate when driven by fearsome forces; a king is implied to remain vigilant, uphold dharma, and prevent destructive concentrations of power that threaten social order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Tripura literally evokes “three cities/fortresses,” hinting at grand constructed strongholds; the verse itself is not a Vāstu rule, but it frames Tripura as an engineered, formidable urban/fortress reality that later narratives treat as requiring divine counter-measure.