Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

कुन्तान्प्रासान् असींस्तीक्ष्णान् मुद्गरांश्चापि दुःसहान् तान्सर्वान्सो ऽग्रसद्दैत्यः कवलानिव यूथपः //

Transliteration

kuntānprāsān asīṃstīkṣṇān mudgarāṃścāpi duḥsahān tānsarvānso 'grasaddaityaḥ kavalāniva yūthapaḥ //

Translation

Spears, javelins, sharp swords, and even unbearable iron maces—he swallowed them all, that Daitya, as an elephant-leader gulps down mouthfuls of food.

Word by Word

• कुन्तान् (kuntān): spears

• प्रासान् (prāsān): lances/javelins

• असीन् (asīn): swords

• तीक्ष्णान् (tīkṣṇān): sharp, keen-edged

• मुद्गरान् (mudgarān): maces/iron clubs

• च अपि (ca api): and also

• दुःसहान् (duḥsahān): hard to endure/terrible

• तान् सर्वान् (tān sarvān): all of them

• सः (saḥ): he

• अग्रसत् (agrasat): swallowed, devoured

• दैत्यः (daityaḥ): the Daitya (demon)

• कवलान् इव (kavalān iva): like mouthfuls/boluses (of food)

• यूथपः (yūthapaḥ): leader of a herd, especially an elephant-leader

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic storyteller voice; likely Sūta’s narration in the traditional frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Daitya
• Yūthapa (elephant-leader simile)

Tags

• Daitya
• Battle
• Mythic Warfare
• Puranic Simile
• Heroic Feat

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it uses battle imagery to portray a Daitya’s overwhelming, near-invulnerable power by showing him swallowing weapons as if they were food.

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

Indirectly, it underscores the Purāṇic theme that brute force alone can be terrifying yet morally neutral; kingship-dharma in the Matsya Purana typically demands disciplined power guided by dharma, not mere destructive might.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is explicit here; the verse is purely martial, focused on weapons and a simile, not on Vastu Shastra, temple-building rules, or ritual procedure.