Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

स तैस्तुमुलयुद्धेन श्रममासादितो यदा तदा कपाली जग्राह करं तस्यामरद्विषः //

Transliteration

sa taistumulayuddhena śramamāsādito yadā tadā kapālī jagrāha karaṃ tasyāmaradviṣaḥ //

Translation

When he had become wearied by that fierce and tumultuous battle, then Kapālī (Śiva), the skull-bearing Lord, seized the hand of that enemy of the gods.

Word by Word

• स (sa): he

• तैः (taiḥ): by them/with them

• तुमुल-युद्धेन (tumula-yuddhena): by a tumultuous/fierce battle

• श्रमम् (śramam): fatigue, weariness

• आसादितः (āsāditaḥ): reached, overtaken, afflicted

• यदा (yadā): when

• तदा (tadā): then

• कपाली (kapālī): the skull-bearing one (Śiva)

• जग्राह (jagrāha): seized, grasped

• करम् (karam): hand

• तस्य (tasya): of that (one)

• अमर-द्विषः (amara-dviṣaḥ): of the hater/enemy of the immortals (gods).

Speaker

• Pauranic narrator (Sūta-style narration; not a direct Matsya–Manu dialogue in this verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Kapālī (Śiva)
• Amaradviṣ (enemy of the gods)

Tags

• Deva-Asura War
• Shiva
• Pauranic Battle
• Divine Intervention
• Mythic Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmological dissolution; it depicts a battlefield moment where Śiva (Kapālī) intervenes against an enemy of the gods.

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

Indirectly, it models the Purāṇic ideal of protecting cosmic order (dharma): when forces hostile to the devas prevail, divine power restrains them—an analogy to a king’s duty to restrain adharma and protect the realm.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated; the key religious takeaway is the epithet “Kapālī,” highlighting Śiva’s ascetic-iconographic identity (skull-bearing form) often referenced in Śaiva ritual and iconography.