Shloka 46

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

Devanagari script

तेन मुक्तेन बाणेन बाणपुष्पसमप्रभम् आकाशं स्वर्णसंकाशं कृतं सूर्येण रञ्जितम् //

Transliteration

tena muktena bāṇena bāṇapuṣpasamaprabham ākāśaṃ svarṇasaṃkāśaṃ kṛtaṃ sūryeṇa rañjitam //

Translation

By that arrow, once released, the sky was made radiant like clusters of arrow-flowers; it appeared golden, as though dyed by the sun.

Word by Word

• tena: by that

• muktena: released, discharged

• bāṇena: by the arrow

• bāṇapuṣpa: arrow-flowers (flower-like sparks/fiery blossoms caused by the missile)

• samaprabham: having equal/similar radiance, resplendent like

• ākāśam: the sky/firmament

• svarṇasaṃkāśam: golden in appearance

• kṛtam: made, rendered

• sūryeṇa: by the sun

• rañjitam: colored, tinged, suffused

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene (battle-missile imagery within the Matsya Purana’s narrative flow)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūrya

Tags

• Divine weapons
• Battle imagery
• Puranic poetics
• Radiance
• Śastra-varṇana

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe Pralaya; instead, it uses cosmic-scale imagery to show how a released missile can transform the appearance of the heavens—an epic poetic device often used in Puranic battle narratives.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal that power (especially weaponry) has wide-reaching consequences; by implication, rulers must wield force with restraint and dharmic intent because their actions can affect the whole realm, like an arrow altering the very sky in the narrative.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the key takeaway is symbolic—golden, sun-tinted radiance is an auspicious visual motif often echoed in temple iconography and ritual aesthetics (tejas, prabhā), though this verse itself is descriptive rather than prescriptive.