Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

परस्परेण कलहं कुर्वाणा भीममूर्तयः भ्रमन्ते भक्षयन्तश्च दानवानां च लोहितम् //

Transliteration

paraspareṇa kalahaṃ kurvāṇā bhīmamūrtayaḥ bhramante bhakṣayantaśca dānavānāṃ ca lohitam //

Translation

Taking on terrifying forms, they wander about fighting among themselves, devouring one another—and even drinking the blood of the Dānavas.

Word by Word

• परस्परेण: with one another, mutually

• कलहम्: quarrel, strife

• कुर्वाणा: doing, engaging in

• भीम-मूर्तयः: of dreadful/terrifying forms

• भ्रमन्ते: they roam, wander

• भक्षयन्तः: devouring, eating

• च: and

• दानवानाम्: of the Dānavas (a class of demons/Asuras)

• लोहितम्: blood

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the events within the Matsya Purana’s pralaya-tinged narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas

Tags

• Pralaya
• Asuras
• Portents
• Civil Strife
• Cosmic Disorder

FAQs

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

It depicts a hallmark of pralaya-like disorder: beings fall into mutual violence and self-consumption, showing dharma’s collapse and the world’s inversion before large-scale destruction.

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

By contrast, it implies that a king must prevent factional conflict and protect social order, while householders should restrain anger and greed—since uncontrolled passions lead to the same self-destructive chaos shown here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct vastu/ritual rule is stated; the takeaway is contextual—ritual and sacred order are meaningful precisely because they counteract the kind of lawless turbulence and impurity (bloodshed) portrayed in this verse.