Shloka 78

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

Devanagari script

शक्रं विव्याध दशभिर् जत्रुदेशे तु पत्त्रिभिः हृदये च त्रिभिश्चापि द्वाभ्यां च स्कन्धयोर् द्वयोः //

Transliteration

śakraṃ vivyādha daśabhir jatrudeśe tu pattribhiḥ hṛdaye ca tribhiścāpi dvābhyāṃ ca skandhayor dvayoḥ //

Translation

He pierced Śakra (Indra) with ten arrows in the region of the collarbone; with three more in the heart; and with two each in both shoulders.

Word by Word

• śakram: Śakra/Indra

• vivyādha: pierced, struck

• daśabhiḥ: with ten

• jatrudeśe: in the collarbone/upper-chest region

• tu: indeed

• pattribhiḥ: with arrows (lit. feathered shafts)

• hṛdaye: in the heart

• ca: and

• tribhiḥ: with three

• cāpi: and also

• dvābhyām: with two

• skandhayoḥ: in the two shoulders

• dvayoḥ: of both (two)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) reporting the martial event within the Matsya Purana’s narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Śakra (Indra)

Tags

• Battle
• Indra
• Archery
• Puranic narrative
• Dynasties

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a battlefield description focused on Indra (Śakra) being struck by arrows, not on cosmogony or Pralaya.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal of kṣātra themes—valor, warfare, and the consequences of martial prowess—often used to frame royal conduct and the gravity of conflict.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated here; the technical focus is archery and bodily strike-points in a combat narrative.