Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

गणेश्वरास्ते सुरसंनिकाशाः पूर्णाहुतीसिक्तशिखिप्रकाशाः उत्सादयन्ते दनुपुत्रवृन्दान् यथैव इन्द्राशनयः पतन्त्यः //

Transliteration

gaṇeśvarāste surasaṃnikāśāḥ pūrṇāhutīsiktaśikhiprakāśāḥ utsādayante danuputravṛndān yathaiva indrāśanayaḥ patantyaḥ //

Translation

Those Gaṇeśvara hosts—radiant like the gods—shone like blazing fire fed by full oblations, and they annihilated the multitudes of Danu’s sons, just as Indra’s thunderbolts fall (and shatter all before them).

Word by Word

• गणेश्वराः (gaṇeśvarāḥ): lords of the gaṇas / divine troop-leaders

• ते (te): those

• सुर-संनिकाशाः (sura-saṃnikāśāḥ): resembling the devas, godlike in splendor

• पूर्ण-आहुति- (pūrṇa-āhuti-): full oblations (in sacrifice)

• सिक्त (sikta): sprinkled, drenched, kindled (as by offerings)

• शिखि-प्रकाशाः (śikhi-prakāśāḥ): shining like flame/fire (śikhin = fire/peacock

• उत्सादयन्ते (utsādayante): they destroy, exterminate, bring to ruin

• दनु-पुत्र-वृन्दान् (danu-putra-vṛndān): the multitudes of Danu’s sons (Danavas)

• यथा एव (yathā eva): just as indeed

• इन्द्र-अशनयः (indra-aśanayaḥ): Indra’s thunderbolts (vajras)

• पतन्त्यः (patantyaḥ): falling down, striking

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice describing the battle scene within the Matsya Purana’s dialogue framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Gaṇeśvaras (gaṇa-lords)
• Devas (Suras)
• Danuputras (Danavas)
• Indra

Tags

• Deva-Asura war
• Danavas
• Indra Vajra
• Ritual imagery
• Puranic battle-poetics

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic Pralaya; it depicts localized destruction in a divine battle—Danavas being wiped out by godlike gaṇa-hosts, compared to Indra’s thunderbolts.

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

By analogy, it upholds the dharmic ideal of protecting order: just as divine forces decisively remove destructive powers, a king is expected to suppress adharma and safeguard subjects; a householder supports dharma through yajña (hinted by the ‘full oblations’ fire imagery).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the imagery of fire ‘brightened by full oblations’ evokes yajña power—offerings intensify sacred fire, symbolizing consecrated energy that overcomes hostile forces (a common Purāṇic motif rather than a direct Vāstu rule).