Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

उवाच चैनं मधुरं प्रोत्साहपरिबृंहकम् किमेभिः क्रीडसे देव दानवैर्दुष्टमानसैः //

Transliteration

uvāca cainaṃ madhuraṃ protsāhaparibṛṃhakam kimebhiḥ krīḍase deva dānavairduṣṭamānasaiḥ //

Translation

And he spoke to him in a sweet voice, offering words that strengthened his resolve: “O Lord, why do you sport with these Dānavas whose minds are wicked?”

Word by Word

• उवाच: said/spoke

• च: and

• एनम्: to him

• मधुरम्: sweetly/with pleasing words

• प्रोत्साह-परिबृंहकम्: that which increases encouragement/fortifies confidence

• किम्: why/what for

• एभिः: with these

• क्रीडसे: you play/sport

• देव: O god/O Lord

• दानवैः: with the Dānavas (demons, descendants of Danu)

• दुष्ट-मानसैः: with evil-minded/wicked-hearted (ones)

Speaker

• A Deva (likely Indra or a divine interlocutor addressing the Lord in the Deva–Dānava context within the larger narrative)

Entities Mentioned

• Deva
• Dānava

Tags

• Devas vs Dānavas
• Divine counsel
• Ethical discernment
• Pralaya-Khanda context
• Matsya Purana narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not a technical Pralaya description; it reflects the moral-narrative frame within the broader Matsya Purana flow, emphasizing divine strategy and discernment amid conflict rather than cosmological dissolution itself.

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

It implies a dharmic guideline: avoid “duṣṭa-mānasa” (wicked-minded) associations and do not treat harmful forces as mere play—kings and householders alike should choose allies and company that strengthen righteousness.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its takeaway is ethical and narrative—speech that is “madhura” yet “protsāha-paribṛṃhakam” (encouraging and strengthening) is presented as an ideal mode of counsel.