Shloka 30

Matsya Purana — The Burning of Tripura and Rudra’s Victory

Devanagari script

सोद्यम्य करमारावे रविशक्रकरप्रभम् दुद्राव हन्तुं स क्रूरं महिषं गजराडिव //

Transliteration

sodyamya karamārāve raviśakrakaraprabham dudrāva hantuṃ sa krūraṃ mahiṣaṃ gajarāḍiva //

Translation

Raising his hand amid a tumultuous roar, radiant with a splendor like that of the Sun and Indra, he rushed forth to slay that cruel buffalo, like a lordly elephant charging.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he

• udyamya: having raised/lifted up

• karaṃ: the hand

• ārāve: in a roar, amid loud cries

• ravi-śakra-kara-prabham: having radiance like the Sun and Indra (lit. ‘Sun–Indra–hand’ splendor

• dudrāva: ran forward, charged

• hantuṃ: to kill, to slay

• saḥ: he

• krūram: cruel, fierce

• mahiṣam: the buffalo (buffalo-demon)

• gaja-rāṭ iva: like a king of elephants.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the combat scene

Entities Mentioned

• Mahisha (buffalo-demon figure)
• Indra (Śakra)
• Surya (Ravi)

Tags

• Battle
• Heroic imagery
• Demon-slaying
• Puranic narrative
• Divine radiance

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it depicts a martial episode emphasizing divine/heroic energy (tejas) and the defeat of destructive forces symbolized by the buffalo-demon.

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

The verse models kshatriya-dharma imagery: swift action against cruelty and adharma, likened to a powerful elephant-charge—an ideal of protective courage expected of a righteous ruler.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or ritual procedure is stated here; the key takeaway is iconographic-poetic imagery (radiance like Sun and Indra) often used to characterize divine heroes in Purana narratives.