Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

आप्याययन्तस्त्रिदशान् गर्जन्त इव चाम्बुदाः हिमाचलाभे महति काञ्चनाम्बुरुहस्रजि //

Transliteration

āpyāyayantastridaśān garjanta iva cāmbudāḥ himācalābhe mahati kāñcanāmburuhasraji //

Translation

Nourishing the Thirty (the gods), they resounded like thunderclouds, upon that vast, Himālaya-like edifice, adorned with garlands of golden lotuses.

Word by Word

• आप्याययन्तस्: nourishing, refreshing, causing to thrive

• त्रिदशान्: the thirty gods (i.e., the devas)

• गर्जन्त: roaring, resounding

• इव: like, as if

• च: and

• अम्बुदाः: clouds

• हिमाचलाभे: resembling the Himālaya/mountain (in appearance)

• महति: great, vast, lofty

• काञ्चन: golden

• अम्बुरुह: lotus (lit. water-born)

• स्रजि: in/with a garland, adorned with garlands

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice within the Purāṇic discourse; descriptive passage)

Entities Mentioned

• Tridaśa (Devas)
• Himācala (Himālaya)
• Ambuda (clouds)
• Kāñcana-amburuhasraj (golden lotus garlands)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Temple Iconography
• Ornamentation
• Devas
• Sacred Architecture

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it uses cloud-and-thunder imagery poetically to convey abundance and divine splendour, emphasizing nourishment and auspicious resonance rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports the dhārmic ideal of sustaining and honoring the divine order—through patronage of sacred spaces and offerings that 'nourish the devas' (tridaśa), a classic householder/royal duty in Purāṇic ethics.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It highlights a Vāstu/temple-aesthetic ideal: a grand, mountain-like structure (Himālaya-simile) adorned with golden lotus garlands—suggesting prescribed auspicious decoration (lotus motifs/garlanding) and an atmosphere of sacred, resonant grandeur.