Shloka 61

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

Devanagari script

भिन्नोत्तमाङ्गा गणपा भिन्नपादाङ्किताननाः विरेजुर्भुजगा मन्त्रैर् वार्यमाणा यथा तथा //

Transliteration

bhinnottamāṅgā gaṇapā bhinnapādāṅkitānanāḥ virejurbhujagā mantrair vāryamāṇā yathā tathā //

Translation

The gaṇapas, their heads shattered and their faces marked by wounded feet, and the serpents as well—though checked and driven back by mantras—still appeared there, in one way or another.

Word by Word

bhinnottamāṅgāḥwith broken/shattered heads

gaṇapāḥgaṇas/attendant spirits (gaṇapas)

bhinna-pāda-aṅkita-ānanāḥfaces marked (aṅkita) by injured/broken feet (pāda) / by footprints from trampling (contextual)

virejuḥshone/appeared conspicuously

bhujagāḥserpents

mantraiḥby mantras

vāryamāṇāḥbeing restrained/warded off/repelled

yathā tathāin this manner or that / somehow or other

Speaker

Sūta (narrative voice), continuing the episode description (speaker attribution inferred from Purāṇic framing)

Entities Mentioned

Gaṇapas (gaṇāḥ)Bhujagas (serpents)Mantras

FAQs

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

It reflects a Pralaya-like atmosphere of threat and disorder where hostile beings (gaṇapas, serpents) still manifest, yet are controlled through mantraic restraint—suggesting ritual power as a stabilizing force amid chaos.

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

It implies the dharmic duty of maintaining protection (rakṣā) through sanctioned rites—using mantra, discipline, and authorized ritual specialists to ward off harm to people and sacred spaces.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights mantra as an apotropaic tool (vāraṇa/repulsion) used in protective rites; architecturally, it supports the broader Purāṇic idea that temples and consecrated sites require ongoing rakṣā-mantras to keep disruptive forces at bay.