Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — The Terror of Tripura and the Gods’ Hymn to Śiva

Devanagari script

भवतां च न पश्यामि कमप्यत्र सुरर्षभाः यस्तु चैकप्रहारेण पुरं हन्यात् सदानवम् //

Transliteration

bhavatāṃ ca na paśyāmi kamapyatra surarṣabhāḥ yastu caikaprahāreṇa puraṃ hanyāt sadānavam //

Translation

O foremost of the gods, I do not see anyone among you here who could, with a single blow, destroy that city together with its demons.

Word by Word

• bhavatām: among you (of you all)

• ca: and

• na: not

• paśyāmi: I see

• kam api: anyone at all

• atra: here

• sura-ṛṣabhāḥ: O bulls/chiefs among the gods

• yaḥ tu: but he who

• ca: indeed

• eka-prahāreṇa: with a single stroke/blow

• puram: the city/fortress

• hanyāt: would slay/destroy

• sa-dānavam: along with the Dānavas (demons)

Speaker

• A leading deity addressing the assembled gods (likely Indra or a senior Deva in council; exact attribution varies by recension/context)

Entities Mentioned

• Suras (gods)
• Dānavas (demons)
• Pura (demon-held city/fortress)

Tags

• Deva-Asura Conflict
• Heroic Feat
• Divine Council
• Puranic Warfare
• Matsya Purana Narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it highlights a crisis in the cosmic order where the gods lack the शक्ति (capacity) to destroy a demon-occupied fortress, setting up the need for an extraordinary intervention.

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

By analogy, it underscores a dharmic principle found across the Matsya Purana: when ordinary means fail against entrenched adharma, leadership must seek the most competent protector/agent rather than acting from pride or partial capability.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, the key term is pura—an urban/fortified stronghold—used here as a symbol of an entrenched power-center; the verse itself does not prescribe Vastu rules but frames the fortress as an objective requiring decisive force.