Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Vishnu’s Battle with the Daityas: Astra-Combat

Devanagari script

शक्त्या च महिषो दैत्यः स्वपक्षजयकाङ्क्षया निराकृतं तमालोक्य दुर्जने प्रणयं यथा //

Transliteration

śaktyā ca mahiṣo daityaḥ svapakṣajayakāṅkṣayā nirākṛtaṃ tamālokya durjane praṇayaṃ yathā //

Translation

Then the Daitya Mahiṣa, longing for his own side to prevail, took up the śakti (spear); and seeing one who had been cast off, he offered friendship—like a fool who shows affection to a wicked man.

Word by Word

• śaktyā: with a spear/lance

• ca: and

• mahiṣaḥ: Mahiṣa (the buffalo-daitya)

• daityaḥ: the Daitya/demon

• svapakṣa-jaya-kāṅkṣayā: with the desire for victory of his own faction/side

• nirākṛtam: rejected, cast off, repulsed

• tam: him/that one

• ālokya: having seen

• durjane: toward a wicked person / in the case of a villain

• praṇayam: friendship, affection, alliance

• yathā: just as, as though.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting events (contextual narration within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahiṣa (Daitya)

Tags

• Daityas
• Alliance
• Political Ethics
• Conflict
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a moral-political observation within a conflict narrative, warning that alliances formed for factional victory can resemble misplaced affection toward a wicked person.

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

It cautions against opportunistic or unprincipled alliances: a king (or householder) seeking success should avoid trusting or bonding with durjana (the wicked), since such “friendship” is unstable and ethically corrosive.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple, or ritual procedure is taught here; the verse functions as a political-ethical simile about friendship and factional ambition.