Shloka 138

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

Devanagari script

करो ऽयमब्जसंनिभो ममास्तु कर्णपूरकः सरोषमीक्षते ऽपरा वपां विना प्रियं तदा परा प्रिया ह्यवाप यद्भृतोष्णशोणितासवं विकृष्य शवचर्म तत्प्रबद्धसान्द्रपल्लवम् //

Transliteration

karo 'yamabjasaṃnibho mamāstu karṇapūrakaḥ saroṣamīkṣate 'parā vapāṃ vinā priyaṃ tadā parā priyā hyavāpa yadbhṛtoṣṇaśoṇitāsavaṃ vikṛṣya śavacarma tatprabaddhasāndrapallavam //

Translation

May this lotus-like hand become my ear-ornament (a protective charm). When another (woman) looks on in anger, then the beloved—deprived of her fat (and vitality)—is undone; but the supreme Beloved prevails, for she draws out the warm essence of blood, stripping away the skin of a corpse, and binding it with dense, sprouting tendrils (as an overpowering, fearsome protection).

Word by Word

• karaḥ: hand

• ayam: this

• abja-saṃnibhaḥ: lotus-like, resembling a lotus

• mama: for me/my

• astu: may it be

• karṇa-pūrakaḥ: ear-filler, ear-ornament, something worn at the ear (amulet/earring)

• sa-roṣam: with anger, wrathfully

• īkṣate: looks at, gazes upon

• aparā: another (woman/party)

• vapām: fat, adipose (also ‘vital substance’ in some ritual registers)

• vinā: without, deprived of

• priyam: the beloved (masc./fem. depending on context)

• tadā: then

• parā: supreme, highest

• priyā: beloved (feminine)

• hi: indeed

• avāpa: obtained, attained, prevailed

• yat-bhṛta: that which is borne/contained

• uṣṇa: warm

• śoṇita: blood

• āsavam: essence, extract, liquor-like distillate

• vikṛṣya: drawing out, pulling off/away

• śava-carma: corpse-skin, hide of a dead body

• tat-prabaddha: bound with that, fastened thereby

• sāndra: dense, thick

• pallavam: sprout, shoot, tendril (also ‘fresh growth’).

Speaker

• Suta (narratorial transmission of a ritual/protective formula within the Matsya Purana tradition; exact interlocutor not explicit in the isolated verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Protective amulet (karṇapūraka)
• Lotus-like hand (abja-saṃnibha kara)
• Beloved (priyā/priya)
• Corpse-skin (śava-carma)

Tags

• Raksha-Mantra
• Protective Charm
• Ugra-Shanti
• Ritual Imagery
• Matsya Purana Mantra

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing cosmic creation or Pralaya; it uses fierce ritual imagery (blood-essence, corpse-skin) typical of protective formulas meant to repel harm and hostile influences.

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

It aligns with the Purāṇic concern for rakṣā (protection): a householder or ruler is expected to maintain safety—using sanctioned rites/charms to ward off envy, anger, and malign gazes that disrupt household harmony and social order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it references a karṇapūraka (ear-worn charm/amulet) and employs ugra (fearsome) symbolic materials to intensify protective efficacy, a known style in Purāṇic rakṣā-mantras.