Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

मर्तव्यकृतबुद्धीनां जये चानिश्चितात्मनाम् अबलानां चमूर्ह्यासीद् अबलावयवा इव //

Transliteration

martavyakṛtabuddhīnāṃ jaye cāniścitātmanām abalānāṃ camūrhyāsīd abalāvayavā iva //

Translation

For those who had resolved only to die, and for those whose minds were uncertain even about victory, the army became bewildered—like a body whose limbs are without strength.

Word by Word

• मर्तव्य-कृत-बुद्धीनाम्: of those whose resolve is fixed on dying

• जये: in victory / regarding victory

• च: and

• अनिश्चित-आत्मनाम्: of those with an undecided mind / wavering in spirit

• अबलानाम्: of the weak / strengthless

• चमूः: the army

• हि: indeed

• आसीत्: became / was

• अबल-अवयवाः: having powerless limbs / with feeble members

• इव: like

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s discourse on royal policy and battle-readiness, in the style of Rajadharma instruction)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Warfare
• Morale
• Leadership
• Strategy

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on human psychology in warfare—how fatalism and uncertainty collapse collective strength.

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

For a king, it teaches that leadership must cultivate steady resolve and confidence; an army (and by extension a polity or household) fails when its members are weak and directionless.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or ritual rule is stated; the simile of a body with weak limbs is used to explain organizational dysfunction, not temple architecture.