Matsya Purana — The Devasura War: Tumult, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

गजैस्तुरंगैः पादातैः पतद्भिः पतितैरपि आकाशसरसो भ्रष्टैः पङ्कजैरिव भूः स्तृता //

Transliteration

gajaisturaṃgaiḥ pādātaiḥ patadbhiḥ patitairapi ākāśasaraso bhraṣṭaiḥ paṅkajairiva bhūḥ stṛtā //

Translation

The earth was carpeted with elephants, horses, and foot-soldiers—some still falling, others already fallen—like ground strewn with lotuses that have dropped from a lake in the sky.

Word by Word

• gajaiḥ: by/with elephants

• turaṅgaiḥ: by/with horses

• pādātaiḥ: by/with infantry (foot-soldiers)

• patadbhiḥ: with those falling

• patitaiḥ api: even with those already fallen

• ākāśa-sarasaḥ: from a sky-like lake / a lake in the heavens

• bhraṣṭaiḥ: slipped off, fallen down

• paṅkajaiḥ: with lotuses

• iva: like

• bhūḥ: the earth/ground

• stṛtā: spread out, strewn, carpeted.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) or the Purana’s narrator describing the scene (descriptive narration rather than direct dialogue)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• War
• Battlefield
• Simile
• Kshatriya

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it uses cosmic imagery (“a lake in the sky”) purely as a poetic simile to convey how densely the battlefield was covered with fallen troops.

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

In Rajadharma context, it underscores the grave human cost of warfare that a king’s policies can bring about—implying that a ruler must exercise force with restraint and responsibility, mindful of the devastation left on the land.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is a literary battlefield description. Its main significance is stylistic—using a vivid simile (fallen lotuses) to depict the field strewn with bodies.