Shloka 43

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

Devanagari script

भस्मशुभ्रतनुछायै रुद्रैर्हंसैरिवावृतः उपस्थितार्तिर्दैत्यो ऽथ प्रचलत्कर्णपल्लवः //

Transliteration

bhasmaśubhratanuchāyai rudrairhaṃsairivāvṛtaḥ upasthitārtirdaityo 'tha pracalatkarṇapallavaḥ //

Translation

Then the Daitya—his distress now upon him—stood surrounded by Rudra-like beings whose bodies shone ash-white, as though encircled by swans; and his ear-ornaments trembled as he stirred.

Word by Word

• भस्म-शुभ्र (bhasma-śubhra): ash-white, bright like sacred ash

• तनु-छायै (tanu-chāyai): having the hue/lustre of the body, bodily radiance

• रुद्रैः (rudraiḥ): by Rudras, Rudra-like beings

• हंसैः (haṃsaiḥ): by swans

• इव (iva): as if/like

• आवृतः (āvṛtaḥ): surrounded, encompassed

• उपस्थित-आर्तिः (upasthita-ārtiḥ): with affliction/distress having arisen, overtaken by anguish

• दैत्यः (daityaḥ): the Daitya (demon)

• अथ (atha): then

• प्रचलत् (pracalat): shaking, trembling, moving

• कर्ण-पल्लवः (karṇa-pallavaḥ): ear-ornament/ear-pendant (lit. “leaf at the ear”), ear-jewelry.

Speaker

• Suta (narrative voice; third-person description within the Purana’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Rudra
• Daitya
• Haṃsa (swans)

Tags

• Iconography
• Mythic battle imagery
• Rudra forms
• Daitya episode
• Puranic poetics

FAQs

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

This verse is not a Pralaya teaching; it is a vivid mythic description emphasizing awe and impending danger—Rudra-like, ash-bright forms surrounding a Daitya—rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it models a Purāṇic ethical motif: adharma-driven power (Daitya arrogance) culminates in fear and downfall when confronted by divine authority—an implicit warning for rulers and householders to uphold dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual nuance is the ash-white radiance (bhasma-śubhra), evocative of Rudra/Śaiva sacred ash symbolism; no Vāstu or temple-building rule is stated in this specific verse.