Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — The Gods Seek Śiva’s Refuge: The Cosmic Chariot Prepared for the Burning of T...

Devanagari script

ततः सिंहरवो भूयो बभूव रथभैरवः जयशब्दश्च देवानां संबभूवार्णवोपमः //

Transliteration

tataḥ siṃharavo bhūyo babhūva rathabhairavaḥ jayaśabdaśca devānāṃ saṃbabhūvārṇavopamaḥ //

Translation

Then once again there arose a lion-like roar, terrifying with the thunder of chariots; and the gods’ cry of “Victory!” swelled, vast and resounding like the ocean.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereupon

• siṃha-ravaḥ: lion-roar, leonine cry

• bhūyaḥ: again, once more

• babhūva: arose, came to be

• ratha-bhairavaḥ: dreadful with chariots, chariot-thunder that inspires fear

• jaya-śabdaḥ: the sound/cry of victory

• ca: and

• devānām: of the gods

• saṃbabhūva: arose together, became manifest

• arṇava-upamaḥ: comparable to the ocean, ocean-like (in magnitude and resonance).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice) describing the battlefield scene to the sages (traditional Purāṇic framing)

Entities Mentioned

• Devas

Tags

• Deva-Asura
• Battle
• Victory
• Sound imagery
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it uses ocean-comparison (“arṇavopama”) as a poetic measure of vastness, portraying the immense resonance of the gods’ victory-cry rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it models the Purāṇic ideal of rallying morale and affirming dharma: the collective “jaya” of the devas symbolizes the triumph of righteous order, a theme often extended to kingship as the protection of dharma and social stability.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated here; the key takeaway is sonic imagery (roar, thunder, ocean-like resonance), which can be used in ritual-literary contexts to evoke auspicious victory acclamations (jaya-śabda) in celebratory recitations.