Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

व्यसुभिः सुनिबद्धाङ्गैः पतमानैः सुरेतरैः संबभूवार्णवे शब्दः सजलाम्बुदनिस्वनः //

Transliteration

vyasubhiḥ sunibaddhāṅgaiḥ patamānaiḥ suretaraiḥ saṃbabhūvārṇave śabdaḥ sajalāmbudanisvanaḥ //

Translation

From the bodies of the non-gods—lifeless, their limbs tightly bound and falling—there arose in the ocean a roar like that of rain-laden thunderclouds.

Word by Word

• vyasubhiḥ: bereft of life, lifeless (dead)

• sunibaddha-aṅgaiḥ: with limbs firmly bound/fastened

• patamānaiḥ: falling, plunging down

• sura-etaraiḥ: by the non-gods (asuras/hostile beings)

• saṃbabhūva: arose, came into being

• arṇave: in the ocean

• śabdaḥ: a sound, roar

• sa-jala-ambuda-nisvanaḥ: having the rumble (nisvana) of clouds (ambuda) filled with water (sa-jala), i.e., thunderous like rain-clouds

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the event within the Matsya–Manu Pralaya account

Entities Mentioned

• Ocean (Arṇava)
• Asuras / Suretaras

Tags

• Pralaya
• CosmicDeluge
• Ocean
• Asuras
• PuranicNarrative

FAQs

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

It depicts a cataclysmic pralaya-like scene: the ocean resounds with a thunderous roar as lifeless bodies of hostile beings plunge down, emphasizing the scale and terror of dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it functions as a reminder of impermanence: worldly power and enmity end in ruin, so kings and householders should uphold dharma, restraint, and protection of life rather than violence and adharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the verse is primarily narrative-phenomenological, using thundercloud imagery as an omen-like sign of cosmic upheaval rather than prescribing temple-building or rites.