Shloka 66

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

Devanagari script

धनेशो ऽपि गदां गुर्वीं तस्य दानवहस्तिनः चिक्षेप वेगाद्दैत्येन्द्रो निपपातास्य मूर्धनि //

Transliteration

dhaneśo 'pi gadāṃ gurvīṃ tasya dānavahastinaḥ cikṣepa vegāddaityendro nipapātāsya mūrdhani //

Translation

Dhaneśa (Kubera) too hurled a heavy mace with force at that Danava “elephant” (the mighty demon); and the lord of the Daityas was struck as it fell upon his head.

Word by Word

• dhaneśaḥ: Lord of wealth (Kubera)

• api: also/too

• gadām: mace/club

• gurvīm: heavy, weighty

• tasya: at him/of him

• dānava-hastinaḥ: of the Danava ‘elephant’ (a very powerful demon, elephant-like in strength)

• cikṣepa: hurled, threw

• vegāt: with speed/force

• daitya-indraḥ: lord of the Daityas (chief demon)

• nipapāta: fell down/descended, struck

• asya: his

• mūrdhani: on the head.

Speaker

• Suta (Purana narrator) describing the battle episode (narrative voice)

Entities Mentioned

• Dhaneśa (Kubera)
• Daityendra (chief of the Daityas)
• Danava

Tags

• Deva-Asura battle
• Kubera
• Mace (Gada)
• Heroic combat
• Puranic warfare

FAQs

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

This verse is a battle description and does not address pralaya; it highlights martial action and divine intervention rather than cosmological dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the kshatriya ideal of confronting adharma: decisive action against destructive forces—an ethical motif often used in Puranas to exemplify protection of order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is specified; the technical focus here is on weaponry (gada) and the idiom of comparing a powerful foe to an elephant.