Shloka 193

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

Devanagari script

स्कन्धे गरुत्मतः सो ऽपि निषसाद विचेतनः खड्गेन राक्षसेन्द्रस्य निचकर्त च वाहनम् //

Transliteration

skandhe garutmataḥ so 'pi niṣasāda vicetanaḥ khaḍgena rākṣasendrasya nicakarta ca vāhanam //

Translation

Struck upon Garuḍa’s shoulder, he too collapsed senseless; and with a sword he hewed down the mount of the lord of the Rākṣasas.

Word by Word

• skandhe: on the shoulder

• garutmataḥ (garutmat): of Garuḍa (the winged one)

• saḥ api: he also

• niṣasāda: sat down/collapsed

• vicetanaḥ: unconscious, bereft of sense

• khaḍgena: with a sword

• rākṣasa-indrasya: of the king/lord of the Rākṣasas

• nicakarta: cut down, severed, hewed off

• ca: and

• vāhanam: mount/vehicle

Speaker

• Sūta (purāṇic narrator) describing the battle narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Garuḍa
• Rākṣasendra (lord of the Rākṣasas)

Tags

• Battle
• Garuḍa
• Rakshasa
• Heroic narrative
• Purāṇic warfare

FAQs

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

Nothing directly: this verse is a combat vignette, focusing on a warrior being rendered unconscious and the cutting down of a rākṣasa-king’s mount, not on pralaya or cosmology.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the kṣatriya ideal of confronting adharma and hostile forces; the emphasis is on decisive action in battle rather than household or royal administration duties.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is taught here; the only technical term is vāhana (mount/vehicle), used in a martial context rather than iconography or temple-building rules.