Shloka 32

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

Devanagari script

यावन्न संध्या न दशां प्रयान्ति दैत्येश्वराश्चास्त्रनिवारणाय तावत्क्षणेनैव जघान कोटीर् दैत्येश्वराणां सगजान्सहाश्वान् //

Transliteration

yāvanna saṃdhyā na daśāṃ prayānti daityeśvarāścāstranivāraṇāya tāvatkṣaṇenaiva jaghāna koṭīr daityeśvarāṇāṃ sagajānsahāśvān //

Translation

So long as twilight had not yet come, and while the lords of the Daityas were still making ready to ward off the weapons, in that very instant he struck down crores of Daitya kings—together with their elephants and horses.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as

• na: not

• sandhyā: twilight (junction of day and night)

• daśām: state/condition

• prayānti: reach/arrive at

• daitya-īśvarāḥ: lords of the Daityas (demon-kings)

• ca: and

• astra-nivāraṇāya: for the repelling/warding off of missiles/weapons

• tāvat: then/so much/that long

• kṣaṇena eva: in that very moment

• jaghāna: struck down/killed

• koṭīḥ: crores (vast multitudes)

• daitya-īśvarāṇām: of the Daitya lords

• sa-gajān: along with elephants

• saha-aśvān: together with horses

Speaker

• Suta (Purana narrator) describing the battle scene (narrative voice; exact interlocutors not explicit in this single verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Daityas
• Daitya-lords (Daityeśvaras)
• Sandhyā (twilight)

Tags

• Daitya battle
• Martial prowess
• Puranic warfare
• Astra-nivāraṇa
• Twilight (Sandhyā)

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it depicts a rapid battlefield slaughter occurring before twilight, emphasizing martial speed and overwhelming force rather than dissolution doctrine.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the kṣātra (royal/warrior) ideal of decisive action and protection through strength—showing how swiftly a threat may be neutralized before it can organize defenses.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned; the only technical term is astra-nivāraṇa (repelling weapons), which belongs to martial vocabulary rather than architecture.