Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — The Episode of Madhu and Kaiṭabha: Gunas

Devanagari script

एह्यागच्छावयोर् युद्धं देहि त्वं कमलोद्भव आवाभ्यां परमीशाभ्याम् अशक्तस्त्वमिहार्णवे //

Transliteration

ehyāgacchāvayor yuddhaṃ dehi tvaṃ kamalodbhava āvābhyāṃ paramīśābhyām aśaktastvamihārṇave //

Translation

“Come—approach and grant us battle, O Lotus-born (Brahmā)! For you are powerless here in this ocean before us two, the supreme lords.”

Word by Word

• ehy/ehī: come!

• āgaccha: approach

• āvayoḥ: of us two

• yuddham: battle, combat

• dehi: give, grant

• tvam: you

• kamalodbhava: O Lotus-born (Brahmā)

• āvābhyām: by us two / before us two

• paramīśābhyām: the two supreme rulers/lords

• aśaktaḥ: powerless, unable

• tvam: you

• iha: here

• arṇave: in the ocean (cosmic waters)

Speaker

• Two supreme beings (paramīśau) addressing Brahmā (Kamalodbhava); likely demonic/hostile powers within the Pralaya-ocean episode

Entities Mentioned

• Brahma (Kamalodbhava)
• Arṇava (cosmic ocean)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Cosmic conflict
• Brahma
• Puranic dialogue
• Power hierarchy

FAQs

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

It situates the scene in the arṇava (cosmic ocean), a hallmark of Pralaya imagery, where ordinary cosmic authority (even Brahmā) is portrayed as constrained within dissolution-waters.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces a Purāṇic ethic: worldly power is contingent, so kings and householders should ground duty (dharma) in humility and reliance on the highest divine order rather than pride in office.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the key takeaway is theological—cosmic hierarchy during Pralaya—useful for contextual cross-linking rather than extracting temple-building rules.