Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

पट्टिशैः सूदिताः केचित् केचिच्छूलविदारिताः दानवाः शरपुष्पाभाः सवना इव पर्वताः निपतन्त्यर्णवजले भीमनक्रतिमिङ्गिले //

Transliteration

paṭṭiśaiḥ sūditāḥ kecit kecicchūlavidāritāḥ dānavāḥ śarapuṣpābhāḥ savanā iva parvatāḥ nipatantyarṇavajale bhīmanakratimiṅgile //

Translation

Some Dānavas were cut down by broad-bladed spears, and some were ripped open by tridents. Looking like heaps of arrow-flowers, they fell—like mountains collapsing—into the ocean waters, a dreadful realm teeming with crocodiles and timiṅgila sea-monsters.

Word by Word

• पट्टिशैः (paṭṭiśaiḥ): with broad-bladed spears/swords

• सूदिताः (sūditāḥ): slain, struck down

• केचित् (kecit): some

• केचिच्छूलविदारिताः (kecic-chūla-vidāritāḥ): some torn open by tridents

• दानवाः (dānavāḥ): Dānava demons

• शरपुष्पाभाः (śara-puṣpābhāḥ): appearing like ‘flowers’ of arrows (covered with arrows)

• सवना इव (savanā iva): like mountains (iva = like

• पर्वताः (parvatāḥ): mountains

• निपतन्ति (nipatanti): they fall

• अर्णवजले (arṇava-jale): into the ocean-water

• भीम (bhīma): dreadful, terrifying

• नक्र (nakra): crocodile

• तिमिङ्गिल (timiṅgila): timiṅgila, a great sea-monster/whale-like creature

• -े (e): in/abounding with (locative sense: ‘filled with’).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the battle to the listening sages (traditional Purāṇic frame); within Matsya Purāṇa’s broader dialogue, this is part of the narrated account rather than direct instruction to Manu.

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas
• paṭṭiśa (broad-bladed spear)
• śūla (trident)
• arṇava (ocean)
• nakra (crocodile)
• timiṅgila (sea-monster)

Tags

• Battle
• Daityas-Dānavas
• Ocean
• Weapons
• Puranic Imagery

FAQs

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

This verse is not a Pralaya teaching; it uses ocean imagery (nakras and timiṅgilas) as a terrifying battlefield setting while describing the fall of slain Dānavas into the sea.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal that adharmic forces (here, Dānavas) are ultimately destroyed; in royal ethics, this supports the king’s duty to protect order and restrain violent, disruptive powers.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is taught in this verse; the technical content is martial—naming weapons (paṭṭiśa, śūla) and evoking the ocean’s fearsome creatures as poetic intensifiers.