Shloka 185

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

Devanagari script

ततस्तारकः प्रेतनाथं पृषत्कैर् वसुं तस्य सव्ये स्मरन्क्षुद्रभावम् शरैरग्निकल्पैर्जलेशस्य कायं रणे ऽशोषयद्दुर्जयो दैत्यराजः //

Transliteration

tatastārakaḥ pretanāthaṃ pṛṣatkair vasuṃ tasya savye smarankṣudrabhāvam śarairagnikalpairjaleśasya kāyaṃ raṇe 'śoṣayaddurjayo daityarājaḥ //

Translation

Then Tāraka—the unconquerable king of the Daityas—assailed Pretanātha and Vasu with sharp arrows; and, remembering (and exploiting) his petty weakness on the left side, he dried up in battle the very body of Jaleśa with arrows like fire.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tārakaḥ: Tāraka (a Daitya leader)

• pretanātham: Pretanātha (lord of the pretas/ghostly beings)

• pṛṣatkaiḥ: with darts/arrows

• vasum: Vasu (a deity/warrior named Vasu)

• tasya: of him

• savye: on the left (side)

• smaran: remembering, calling to mind

• kṣudra-bhāvam: a smallness/pettiness, a minor weakness or vulnerable state

• śaraiḥ: with arrows

• agni-kalpaiḥ: comparable to fire, fire-like

• jaleśasya: of Jaleśa (lord of waters)

• kāyam: body

• raṇe: in battle

• aśoṣayat: he dried up, desiccated

• durjayaḥ: hard to conquer, unconquerable

• daitya-rājaḥ: the king of the Daityas (demons).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the Purāṇic narrator describing the battle (non-dialogue narrative verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Tāraka
• Pretanātha
• Vasu
• Jaleśa
• Daityas

Tags

• Daitya–Deva battle
• Puranic warfare
• Mythic cosmology
• Martial imagery
• Matsya Purana narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it uses a dissolution-like image—“drying up” Jaleśa with fire-like arrows—to intensify the battle narrative rather than to teach cosmic dissolution doctrine.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal of kṣātra strategy in war: knowing an opponent’s vulnerability (here, a weakness on the left side) and using decisive force—an echo of statecraft themes found elsewhere in the Matsya Purāṇa, though this specific verse is purely martial description.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its significance is literary and mythic—battle imagery and the portrayal of an “unconquerable” Daitya king.