Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

नारायणास्त्रं ग्रसनो गृहीत्वा चक्रं निमिः स्वास्त्रवरं मुमोच ऐषीकमस्त्रं च चकार जम्भस् तत्कालदण्डास्त्रनिवारणाय //

Transliteration

nārāyaṇāstraṃ grasano gṛhītvā cakraṃ nimiḥ svāstravaraṃ mumoca aiṣīkamastraṃ ca cakāra jambhas tatkāladaṇḍāstranivāraṇāya //

Translation

Having seized the Nārāyaṇa-weapon (Nārāyaṇāstra), Grasana released his own excellent discus; and Jambha, to check the instantly arriving “Rod of Time” (Kāla-daṇḍa) missile, employed the Aiṣīka weapon.

Word by Word

• nārāyaṇāstram: the Nārāyaṇa missile/weapon (invoked divine astra)

• grasanaḥ: Grasana (a named warrior/demon)

• gṛhītvā: having seized/taken hold of

• cakram: the discus (cakra)

• nimiḥ: Nimi (named hero/king)

• svāstra-varam: his own most excellent weapon

• mumoca: released/let fly

• aiṣīkam astram: the Aiṣīka missile (a counter-astra, lit. ‘reed/shaft-related’)

• ca: and

• cakāra: employed/produced/used

• jambhaḥ: Jambha (named warrior/demon)

• tat-kāla-daṇḍāstra-nivāraṇāya: for the repelling of the daṇḍāstra that was immediate/at that very moment (daṇḍa = staff/punitive rod

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the battle episode (likely within a dialogue frame of Matsya Purana narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Nimi
• Grasana
• Jambha
• Nārāyaṇāstra
• Cakra
• Aiṣīka-astra
• Daṇḍāstra

Tags

• Astravidya
• Divine Weapons
• Battle Narrative
• Puranic Warfare
• Counter-Astra

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on astras (invoked missiles) and the tactical principle of countering one weapon with another in a battle narrative.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Kshatriya ethic emphasized in Puranic literature: disciplined use of power, mastery of sanctioned weapons (astra-vidyā), and the strategic restraint of neutralizing threats rather than indiscriminate destruction.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or temple-architecture rule appears here; the ritual significance is implicit in astra-invocation culture—divine missiles are typically ‘released’ through mantraic procedure and are met with prescribed counter-astras.