Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

ततो वादितवादित्रैश् चातपत्रैर्महाद्रुमैः बभूव तद्बलं दिव्यं वनं प्रचलितं यथा //

Transliteration

tato vāditavāditraiś cātapatrairmahādrumaiḥ babhūva tadbalaṃ divyaṃ vanaṃ pracalitaṃ yathā //

Translation

Then, with its many instruments being sounded, and with great parasols like towering trees, that divine army appeared like a forest set in motion.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• vādita-vāditraiḥ: with musical instruments being played (lit. with played instruments)

• cātapatraiḥ: with royal parasols/umbrellas

• mahādrumaiḥ: with great trees / tree-like (lofty)

• babhūva: became/appeared

• tat-balam: that army/force

• divyam: divine, splendid

• vanam: a forest

• pracalitam: moving, stirred, set in motion

• yathā: as/like

Speaker

• Suta/primary narrator (descriptive narration within the Matsya Purana’s ongoing discourse)

Tags

• Royal procession
• Divine army
• War imagery
• Sound (vaditra)
• Simile (upama)

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it uses a vivid simile—an army moving like a stirred forest—to convey scale, splendor, and motion in a royal/martial scene.

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

It reflects royal statecraft and public order: the disciplined movement of an army, accompanied by signals (music/instruments) and insignia (parasols), aligns with a king’s duty to maintain sovereignty, readiness, and ceremonial legitimacy.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually and culturally, cātapatra (royal parasol) and vāditra (processional instruments) indicate auspicious royal ceremony; while not Vastu rules, it preserves material-culture details useful for reconstructing courtly ritual processions.