Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

स्तुवन्तः षण्मुखं देवाः क्रीडन्तश्चाङ्गनायुताः जग्मुः स्वानेव भवनान् भूरिधामान उत्सुकाः //

Transliteration

stuvantaḥ ṣaṇmukhaṃ devāḥ krīḍantaścāṅganāyutāḥ jagmuḥ svāneva bhavanān bhūridhāmāna utsukāḥ //

Translation

Praising Ṣaṇmukha, the gods—sporting together with their celestial maidens—eagerly went back to their own splendid, radiant dwellings.

Word by Word

• स्तुवन्तः (stuvantaḥ): praising, extolling

• षण्मुखम् (ṣaṇmukham): the Six-faced Lord (Kārttikeya/Skanda)

• देवाः (devāḥ): the gods

• क्रीडन्तः (krīḍantaḥ): playing, sporting

• च (ca): and

• अङ्गना-युताः (aṅganā-yutāḥ): accompanied by maidens/celestial women

• जग्मुः (jagmuḥ): went

• स्वान् एव (svān eva): to their own indeed

• भवनान् (bhavanān): homes, palaces, abodes

• भूरि-धामान् (bhūri-dhāmān): greatly radiant/splendid (abodes)

• उत्सुकाः (utsukāḥ): eager, delighted, keen

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the Purāṇic narrator describing the outcome (non-dialogue narrative verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Ṣaṇmukha (Kārttikeya/Skanda)
• Devas
• Aṅganās (celestial maidens)

Tags

• Skanda Mahatmya
• Devotional Praise
• Devas
• Puranic Narrative
• Heavenly Abodes

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a devotional-narrative closure: after praising Ṣaṇmukha, the gods return to their celestial residences; it does not discuss pralaya or cosmological dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it models dhārmic conduct: offering praise to a deity after successful completion of a divine event/rite and then returning to one’s proper station (svabhavana)—a Purāṇic ideal of orderly duty and gratitude.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, only in a broad sense: it references “bhūri-dhāman” (splendid abodes), a common Purāṇic motif for divine palaces; ritually, it implies the conclusion of a praise (stuti) leading to auspicious resolution and dispersal.