Shloka 54

Matsya Purana — The Battle for Tripura: Portents

Devanagari script

विद्युन्माली ततः क्रुद्धो मयश्च त्रिपुरेश्वरः गणाञ्जघ्नुस्तु द्राघिष्ठाः सहितास्तैर्महासुरैः //

Transliteration

vidyunmālī tataḥ kruddho mayaśca tripureśvaraḥ gaṇāñjaghnustu drāghiṣṭhāḥ sahitāstairmahāsuraiḥ //

Translation

Then Vidyunmālī, enraged, and Maya—the lord of Tripura—together with those mighty asuras, struck down Śiva’s gaṇas, the long-armed warriors of far-reaching might.

Word by Word

• विद्युन्माली (vidyunmālī): Vidyunmālī (a Tripura-asura)

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereupon

• क्रुद्धः (kruddhaḥ): enraged

• मयः (mayaḥ): Maya (the asura architect/leader)

• च (ca): and

• त्रिपुरेश्वरः (tripureśvaraḥ): lord of Tripura

• गणान् (gaṇān): the gaṇas (attendants of Śiva)

• जघ्नुḥ (jaghnus): struck/killed

• तु (tu): indeed

• द्राघिष्ठाः (drāghiṣṭhāḥ): long-armed/extended in reach

• सहिताः (sahitāḥ): accompanied/together

• तैः (taiḥ): by/with those

• महासुरैः (mahāsuraiḥ): great/mighty demons

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) recounting the Tripura episode (within the Matsya Purāṇa’s dialogue framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Vidyunmālī
• Maya
• Tripureśvara (Lord of Tripura)
• Śiva-gaṇas
• Mahāsuras (mighty asuras)
• Tripura

Tags

• Tripura
• Shaiva legend
• Battle narrative
• Asuras
• Gaṇas

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to the Tripura-Saṃhāra war narrative, emphasizing conflict between asuras and Śiva’s divine attendants rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it frames a dharmic theme: unchecked anger and aggressive power (as shown by the Tripura lords) leads to violence and downfall—used in Purāṇas as a cautionary model for rulers to restrain wrath and govern by dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse names Maya, famed as an asura-architect associated with Tripura; while this line is martial, it signals the broader episode where extraordinary constructed fortresses/cities (Tripura) become targets of divine ritual-war (Samhāra), a recurring Purāṇic motif relevant to “Puranic temple architecture rules” and the ethics of powerful building.