Shloka 19

Matsya Purana — The Slaying of Tāraka: Skanda’s Śakti and the Victory of the Devas

Devanagari script

ततः क्रुद्धो महादैत्यस् तारको ऽसुरनायकः जग्राह च गदां दिव्यां हेमजालपरिष्कृताम् //

Transliteration

tataḥ kruddho mahādaityas tārako 'suranāyakaḥ jagrāha ca gadāṃ divyāṃ hemajālapariṣkṛtām //

Translation

Then, enraged, the mighty Daitya Tāraka—the leader of the Asuras—seized a celestial mace, adorned with an intricate net-work of gold.

Word by Word

• ततः (tataḥ): then/thereupon

• क्रुद्धः (kruddhaḥ): enraged

• महादैत्यः (mahādaityaḥ): great daitya/mighty demon

• तारकः (tārakaḥ): Tāraka (proper name)

• असुरनायकः (asuranāyakaḥ): leader of the Asuras

• जग्राह (jagrāha): seized/took up

• च (ca): and

• गदाम् (gadām): mace/club

• दिव्याम् (divyām): celestial/divine

• हेमजाल (hemajāla): network/lattice of gold

• परिष्कृताम् (pariṣkṛtām): adorned/embellished/finely decorated

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) or the primary storyteller within the Matsya Purana’s battle narration (contextual narrator voice)

Entities Mentioned

• Tāraka
• Asuras
• Daityas
• Gadā (mace)

Tags

• Deva-Asura battle
• Taraka
• Divine weapons
• Puranic warfare
• Iconography

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it focuses on a battle episode, highlighting the arming of the Asura leader Tāraka with a divine, ornamented weapon.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic theme that leadership (here, an asura-nāyaka) is expressed through readiness for conflict and command of weapons—serving as a narrative contrast to righteous kingship (rājadharma) elsewhere in the Matsya Purana.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is taught here; however, the phrase “hemajāla-pariṣkṛtā” is an ornamentation motif that can inform iconographic/visual descriptions of weapons in temple art and Purāṇic imagery.