Shloka 65

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

Devanagari script

संमुखो निमिमातङ्गो जवनाचलकम्पनः स्रुतरक्तो बभौ शैलो घनधातुह्रदो यथा //

Transliteration

saṃmukho nimimātaṅgo javanācalakampanaḥ srutarakto babhau śailo ghanadhātuhrado yathā //

Translation

Facing them head-on, Nimi’s mighty elephant advanced, its speed shaking the mountain; and the mountain seemed to stream with blood, like a lake thick with mineral ores.

Word by Word

• saṃmukhaḥ: facing directly, frontward

• nimi-mātaṅgaḥ: the mighty elephant (a great tusker/war-elephant)

• javana-acala-kampanaḥ: causing the mountain to tremble by speed

• sruta-raktaḥ: flowing with blood, blood-streaming

• babhau: shone/appeared

• śailaḥ: the mountain

• ghana-dhātu-hradaḥ: a lake dense with mineral ores (metallic sediments)

• yathā: as, like

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the scene (likely within a broader dialogue framework of the Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Mountain (Śaila)
• War-elephant (Mātaṅga)

Tags

• Battle imagery
• Omens
• Puranic simile
• Nature trembling
• Epic narrative

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead, it uses cosmic-scale natural imagery (a trembling mountain, blood-like flow) to intensify a battlefield or portent-like scene.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purana’s valor-and-order ethos: disciplined force (symbolized by the war-elephant) and the grave consequences of conflict—reminding rulers to wield power responsibly.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or ritual rule appears; the key technical image is geological—“a lake dense with mineral ores”—used as a simile for the mountain’s blood-like appearance.