Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

तामम्बरस्थां जग्राह गजो दानवनन्दनः गृहीतां तां समालोक्य शिक्षामिव विवेकिभिः //

Transliteration

tāmambarasthāṃ jagrāha gajo dānavanandanaḥ gṛhītāṃ tāṃ samālokya śikṣāmiva vivekibhiḥ //

Translation

Seeing it poised in midair, Gaja—the beloved son of a Dānava—seized it; and the discerning, beholding it thus taken, regarded it as though it were a lesson in proper conduct.

Word by Word

• tām: her

• ambara-sthām: situated in the sky/open space

• jagrāha: seized/took hold of

• gajaḥ: Gaja (a person named Gaja)

• dānava-nandanaḥ: the son/delight of a Dānava (demonic clan)

• gṛhītām: having been seized/captured

• tām: her

• samālokya: having looked upon/observed

• śikṣām iva: like a teaching/lesson

• vivekibhiḥ: by the discerning/wise.

Speaker

• Sūta (narratorial voice, describing the event in third person; exact interlocutors not explicit in this single verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Gaja
• Dānava (clan)

Tags

• Puranic narrative
• Daitya-Dānava lore
• Ethics
• Abduction motif
• Dharma reflection

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya directly; it functions as a narrative-moral observation, where an incident is framed as an instructive example for the wise.

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

By presenting an act of forceful seizure and noting that the discerning treat it as a ‘lesson,’ the verse implies dharmic vigilance: rulers and householders should restrain adharma, protect the vulnerable, and treat such events as warnings about unchecked desire and power.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, iconographic, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its emphasis is ethical interpretation of an event rather than temple-building or rite.