Shloka 34

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

Devanagari script

कोपास्फालितदीर्घाग्रकरास्फोटेन पातयन् विचचार रणे देवान् दुष्प्रेक्ष्ये गजदानवः //

Transliteration

kopāsphālitadīrghāgrakarāsphoṭena pātayan vicacāra raṇe devān duṣprekṣye gajadānavaḥ //

Translation

Gaja, the elephant-demon, dreadful to behold, ranged over the battlefield; and in wrath, with the whip-like crack of his long, sharp-tipped hand, he struck the gods down.

Word by Word

• kopa: anger

• ā-sphālita: violently brandished/whirled

• dīrgha-agra: long-tipped/long-pointed

• kara: hand

• āsphoṭa: cracking sound/snap (as of a whip)

• -ena: by/with

• pātayan: causing to fall, striking down

• vicacāra: wandered/roamed

• raṇe: in battle

• devān: the gods

• duṣprekṣye: hard to look at, dreadful to behold

• gaja-dānavaḥ: the elephant(-like) demon named Gaja

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice), describing the battle scene

Entities Mentioned

• Devas
• Gaja Dānava

Tags

• Deva-Asura War
• Battle Description
• Daitya-Dānava
• Epic Combat
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it is a battlefield description emphasizing the destructive force and terrifying presence of the demon Gaja during a Deva–Dānava conflict.

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

Indirectly, it reinforces the Purāṇic ethic that unchecked kopa (anger) becomes a cause of harm and disorder—an implied warning for rulers and householders to govern passions and prevent violence from overwhelming dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is specified here; the verse is purely martial imagery, using the ‘whip-crack’ (āsphoṭa) of a hand as a poetic device to convey overwhelming force.