Shloka 182

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

Devanagari script

अथान्यानि चापानि तस्मिन्सरोषा रणे लोकपाला गृहीत्वा समन्तात् शरैरक्षयैर्दानवेन्द्रं ततक्षुस् तदा दानवो ऽमर्षसंरक्तनेत्रः //

Transliteration

athānyāni cāpāni tasminsaroṣā raṇe lokapālā gṛhītvā samantāt śarairakṣayairdānavendraṃ tatakṣus tadā dānavo 'marṣasaṃraktanetraḥ //

Translation

Then, in that battle, the Lokapālas—filled with wrath—took up other bows from all sides and struck the lord of the Dānavas with inexhaustible arrows; and the Dānava, his eyes reddened with furious indignation, stood enraged.

Word by Word

• atha: then

• anyāni: other, additional

• cāpāni: bows

• tasmin: in that

• sa-roṣāḥ: wrathful, enraged

• raṇe: in battle

• loka-pālāḥ: the guardians of the worlds (Lokapālas)

• gṛhītvā: having taken up

• samantāt: on all sides, from every direction

• śaraiḥ: with arrows

• akṣayaiḥ: inexhaustible, unending

• dānava-indram: the lord/king of the Dānavas

• tatakṣuḥ: they struck, they pierced, they cut down

• tadā: then

• dānavaḥ: the Dānava (demon)

• amarṣa: indignation, intolerance of insult

• saṃrakta-netraḥ: with eyes reddened (by rage).

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle scene

Entities Mentioned

• Lokapālas
• Dānava
• Dānavendra

Tags

• Daitya-Dānava battle
• Lokapālas
• Divine weapons
• Puranic warfare
• Kṣātra ethos

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it depicts a martial episode where the Lokapālas attack a Dānava-king with “inexhaustible arrows,” emphasizing divine power and cosmic order rather than dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the kṣātra ideal: guardians of order act decisively against disruptive forces. For kings, it models protection of the realms; for householders, it suggests restraint over anger (amarṣa) even when provoked—since rage is portrayed as a destabilizing force.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is specified in this verse; its primary significance is narrative—highlighting the Lokapālas’ coordinated defense and the symbolic “akṣaya” (unfailing) efficacy of divine weaponry.