Shloka 164

Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A...

Devanagari script

स तेन बोधितो दैत्यः सम्भ्रमाकुलचेतनः योजयामास बाणं हि ब्रह्मास्त्रविहितेन तु //

Transliteration

sa tena bodhito daityaḥ sambhramākulacetanaḥ yojayāmāsa bāṇaṃ hi brahmāstravihitena tu //

Translation

Thus instructed by him, the Daitya—his mind thrown into agitated confusion—proceeded to fit and discharge an arrow, empowered according to the ordinance of the Brahmāstra.

Word by Word

• स (sa): he

• तेन (tena): by him/thereby

• बोधितः (bodhitaḥ): instructed, awakened

• दैत्यः (daityaḥ): the Daitya (demon/Asura)

• सम्भ्रमाकुलचेतनः (sambhramākula-cetanaḥ): whose consciousness was agitated and confused

• योजयामास (yojayāmāsa): he set in place, yoked, applied

• बाणम् (bāṇam): arrow

• हि (hi): indeed

• ब्रह्मास्त्रविहितेन (brahmāstra-vihitena): as prescribed/regulated by the Brahmāstra (Brahma-weapon rite)

• तु (tu): but/then (emphatic)

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the Daitya’s action within the battle narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Daitya
• Brahmāstra

Tags

• DivineWeapons
• Astravidya
• BattleNarrative
• PuranicWarfare
• MantraPoweredArrows

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it highlights astravidyā (knowledge of celestial weapons), showing how a Brahmāstra is applied through a prescribed method rather than describing cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ethic that power must be exercised with rule-bound restraint: even a destructive weapon like the Brahmāstra is said to be used ‘as prescribed,’ echoing the broader dharmic idea that force should be governed by ordinance and discipline.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not about Vāstu, it contains ritual-technical significance: the Brahmāstra is ‘vihita’ (regulated/ordained), implying a formal invocation procedure (mantra-vidhi) for empowering a missile—an example of codified ritual technology in the Matsya Purana.