Shloka 76

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

Devanagari script

तेनास्य सशरं चापं रणे चिछेद वृत्रहा क्षिप्रं संत्यज्य तच्चापं जम्भो दानवनन्दनः //

Transliteration

tenāsya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ raṇe cicheda vṛtrahā kṣipraṃ saṃtyajya taccāpaṃ jambho dānavanandanaḥ //

Translation

With that blow, Vṛtrahā—Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra—cut to pieces in battle his bow together with its arrows. Quickly abandoning that bow, Jambha, the beloved son of the Dānava clan, prepared to fight on by other means.

Word by Word

• tena: with that (stroke/weapon)

• asya: of him/his

• sa-śaram: together with arrows

• cāpam: bow

• raṇe: in battle

• cicheda: cut/broke

• vṛtra-hā: Vṛtra-slayer (Indra)

• kṣipram: quickly

• saṃtyajya: abandoning, casting aside

• tat-cāpam: that bow

• jambhaḥ: Jambha (a Dānava)

• dānava-nandanaḥ: delight/son of the Dānava(s)

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) reporting the battle narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Indra (Vṛtrahā)
• Jambha
• Dānavas
• Vṛtra

Tags

• Deva-Asura battle
• Indra
• Heroic combat
• Puranic warfare
• Mythic narrative

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a battlefield detail from a Deva–Asura episode, focusing on Indra’s martial prowess rather than cosmology or pralaya.

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

It reflects the kṣātra ideal valued in Purāṇic ethics: strategic courage and disabling an enemy’s weapons—an indirect model for a ruler’s duty to protect and prevail in just conflict.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is stated here; the verse is purely martial (bow-and-arrow combat) and does not discuss Vāstu, temple rules, or ritual procedure.