Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

महामदजलस्रावे कामरूपे शतक्रतुः तस्थौ हिमगिरेः शृङ्गे भानुमानिव दीप्तिमान् //

Transliteration

mahāmadajalasrāve kāmarūpe śatakratuḥ tasthau himagireḥ śṛṅge bhānumāniva dīptimān //

Translation

In Kāmarūpa, amid the streaming gush of abundant rut-fluid, Śatakratu (Indra) stood upon a peak of the Himālaya, radiant like the Sun.

Word by Word

• महामद (mahāmada): great rut/exuberant intoxication

• जल (jala): water/fluid

• स्रावे (srāve): in the outflow/streaming

• कामरूपे (kāmarūpe): in Kāmarūpa (region)

• शतक्रतुः (śatakratuḥ): Śatakratu, Indra (performer of a hundred sacrifices)

• तस्थौ (tasthau): stood/remained

• हिमगिरेः (hima-gireḥ): of the snow-mountain, the Himālaya

• शृङ्गे (śṛṅge): on the peak/summit

• भानुमान् (bhānumān): the Sun

• इव (iva): like

• दीप्तिमान् (dīptimān): shining, radiant

Speaker

• Suta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the scene (not direct dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Indra (Śatakratu)
• Kāmarūpa
• Himālaya
• Sūrya (Bhānumān)

Tags

• Kāmarūpa
• Indra
• Himalaya
• Puranic geography
• Royal-divine imagery

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is a geographic-narrative description highlighting Indra’s radiant presence in Kāmarūpa on a Himalayan summit.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ideal of tejas (splendor/authority): rulers are expected to cultivate disciplined brilliance and steadiness—symbolized by Indra standing firm and shining like the Sun.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the main takeaway is sacred topography—Himalayan peaks and regions like Kāmarūpa are portrayed as charged settings for divine events, often guiding later tīrtha/temple associations.