Shloka 116

Matsya Purana — The Slaying of Jambha and the Rise of Tāraka: Divine Battle Formations

Devanagari script

तैर्विपाटितगात्रो ऽसौ गजमायां व्यपोथयत् ततश्चाशीविषो घोरो ऽभवत्फणशताकुलः //

Transliteration

tairvipāṭitagātro 'sau gajamāyāṃ vyapothayat tataścāśīviṣo ghoro 'bhavatphaṇaśatākulaḥ //

Translation

His limbs torn open by them, he abandoned the elephant-form illusion; then he became a dreadful venomous serpent, bristling with hundreds of hoods.

Word by Word

• taiḥ: by them

• vipāṭita: torn open, ripped apart

• gātraḥ: limbs, body

• asau: that one/he

• gaja-māyām: the illusory elephant-form

• vyapothayat: cast off, shook off, abandoned

• tataḥ: then

• ca: and

• āśī-viṣaḥ: a venomous serpent (lit. ‘poison-fanged/poisonous’)

• ghoraḥ: terrible, dreadful

• abhavat: became

• phaṇa: hood (of a serpent)

• śata: hundred(s)

• ākulaḥ: filled with, crowded with, bristling with

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the episode within the Matsya Purana’s mythic narration

Entities Mentioned

• Gaja-māyā (elephant illusion)
• Āśīviṣa (venomous serpent)

Tags

• Māyā
• Metamorphosis
• Mythic Combat
• Nāga imagery
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it highlights māyā (illusory form) and sudden metamorphosis—common Purāṇic motifs used in battles and supernatural episodes rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces a Purāṇic ethical lesson: appearances can be deceptive (māyā), so a ruler or householder should act with discernment (viveka) and steadiness when confronting threats or crises.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its primary significance is iconographic/narrative—serpent imagery with many hoods, often used in Purāṇic descriptions and later visual symbolism.