Shloka 137
Matsya Purana — The Slaying of Jambha and the Rise of Tāraka: Divine Battle Formations
क्वचित् तुरंगमण्डली विकृष्यते श्वजातिभिः क्वचित्पिशाचजातकैः प्रपीतशोणितासवैः स्वकामिनीयुतैर्द्रुतं प्रमोदमत्तसंभ्रमैर् ममैतदानयाननं खुरो ऽयमस्तु मे प्रियः //
kvacit turaṃgamaṇḍalī vikṛṣyate śvajātibhiḥ kvacitpiśācajātakaiḥ prapītaśoṇitāsavaiḥ svakāminīyutairdrutaṃ pramodamattasaṃbhramair mamaitadānayānanaṃ khuro 'yamastu me priyaḥ //
Somewhere, a herd of horses is dragged away by dog-like creatures; elsewhere, by goblin-born beings who have drunk fermented liquor mixed with blood. Joined by their own lustful women, they rush about in intoxicated revelry and frenzy, crying, “Bring this here—this face!” and “This hoof—let it be mine, my beloved!”
FAQs
This verse is not about Pralaya; it depicts a hellish/underworld-like scene emphasizing karma’s consequences rather than cosmic dissolution.
It functions as a moral deterrent: rulers and householders are urged to restrain intoxication, violence, and uncontrolled desire, since such vices are portrayed as leading to degrading, fearful states after death.
No Vāstu or temple-ritual rule is stated; the verse is primarily ethical and imagistic, using graphic underworld motifs to reinforce dharma and self-control.