Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — The Birth of Tāraka: Varāṅgī’s Lament

Devanagari script

तपः कर्तुं पुनर्दैत्यो व्यवस्वेत महाबलः ज्ञात्वा तु तस्य संकल्पं ब्रह्मा क्रूरतरं पुनः //

Transliteration

tapaḥ kartuṃ punardaityo vyavasveta mahābalaḥ jñātvā tu tasya saṃkalpaṃ brahmā krūrataraṃ punaḥ //

Translation

Then the mighty Daitya again resolved to undertake austerities (tapas). But Brahmā, having understood his intention, once more devised a harsher counter-course.

Word by Word

• तपः (tapaḥ): austerity, ascetic heat

• कर्तुम् (kartum): to do, to undertake

• पुनः (punaḥ): again

• दैत्यः (daityaḥ): the Daitya (demon/Asura)

• व्यवस्वेत (vyavasveta): resolved, determined, made a firm decision

• महाबलः (mahābalaḥ): very powerful, of great strength

• ज्ञात्वा (jñātvā): having known, having understood

• तु (tu): indeed, but

• तस्य (tasya): of him, his

• संकल्पम् (saṃkalpam): intention, resolve

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• क्रूरतरम् (krūrataraṃ): more severe, harsher

• पुनः (punaḥ): again.

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice within the Purāṇic telling; the verse is presented as narrative rather than direct speech)

Entities Mentioned

• Daitya
• Brahmā

Tags

• Tapas
• Devasura
• Cosmic Governance
• Puranic Narrative
• Matsya Purana Themes

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights cosmic administration—how Brahmā monitors and checks disruptive power gained through tapas to preserve order in the created world.

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

It implies a governance ethic: power (even if acquired through discipline) must be supervised and restrained when aimed at harmful ends—mirroring a king’s duty to anticipate threats and act proportionately to protect dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-rule detail appears in this verse; the only ritual motif is tapas (austerity) as a spiritual “technology,” paired with the idea that intention (saṅkalpa) determines its moral outcome.