Shloka 93

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

Devanagari script

शैलास्त्रं मुमुचे जम्भो यन्त्रसंघातताडनम् व्यामप्रमाणैरुपलैस् ततो वर्षमवर्तत //

Transliteration

śailāstraṃ mumuce jambho yantrasaṃghātatāḍanam vyāmapramāṇairupalais tato varṣamavartata //

Translation

Then Jambha released the ‘Mountain-weapon’ (Śaila-astra), a crushing onslaught as though struck by a massed engine of war; and thereupon a rain of stones poured down, each measuring a vyāma (a fathom).

Word by Word

śailāstramthe mountain-weapon (rock/mountain missile)

mumucehe discharged/let loose

jambhaḥJambha (a named warrior/demon)

yantra-saṃghāta-tāḍanama battering/striking like a clustered war-engine (mechanical siege contrivances)

vyāma-pramāṇaiḥof the measure of a vyāma (a fathom/arm-span)

upalaiḥwith stones/rock-pieces

tataḥthen/thereupon

varṣama rain/shower

avartataoccurred/ensued/was set in motion.

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) relating the battle episode

Entities Mentioned

Jambha

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya; it depicts a martial episode where a combatant unleashes a rock-barrage (śailāstra), emphasizing destructive force rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal that rulers must understand protection and defense: the imagery of yantra-like massed striking suggests organized warfare and the need for preparedness against large-scale assaults.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, the phrase yantra-saṃghāta evokes siege machinery and coordinated mechanical force—useful for interpreting Matsya Purana’s broader interest in yantras and measured magnitudes (vyāma-pramāṇa) as technical vocabulary, though no temple or ritual rule is stated in this verse.