Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Vishnu’s Battle with Mathana

Devanagari script

अवसादं ययुर्दैत्याः कर्दमे करिणो यथा ततस्तेषु विपन्नेषु दानवेष्वतिमानिषु //

Transliteration

avasādaṃ yayurdaityāḥ kardame kariṇo yathā tatasteṣu vipanneṣu dānaveṣvatimāniṣu //

Translation

The Daityas sank into despondency—like elephants mired in mud. Then, when those overproud Dānavas had fallen into ruin,

Word by Word

• अवसादम्: into dejection/despondency

• ययुः: went/entered

• दैत्याः: the Daityas (demons)

• कर्दमे: in mud/mire

• करिणः: elephants

• यथा: as/like

• ततः: then/thereupon

• तेषु: among them/when they

• विपन्नेषु: ruined, undone, brought to calamity

• दानवेषु: the Dānavas (a class of Asuras)

• अतिमानिषु: exceedingly proud/arrogant

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battlefield outcome (narrative voice; exact interlocutors not explicit in this verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Daityas
• Dānavas

Tags

• Daitya-Dānava
• Pride
• Defeat
• Purāṇic battle
• Moral lesson

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic pralaya; it uses a vivid simile (elephants stuck in mud) to portray psychological collapse and impending ruin in a battle narrative.

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

It conveys an ethical warning central to Purāṇic dharma: excessive pride (atimāna) leads to downfall. For kings and householders, it implies governance and conduct should be grounded in humility, restraint, and realism rather than arrogance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-iconography, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its significance is primarily narrative and ethical, illustrating the collapse of the overconfident.