Shloka 183

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

Devanagari script

रथेषु त्वमरास्त्रस्तास् तत्र तत्र निलिल्यिरे अपरे कुञ्चितैर्गात्रैः स्वहस्तपिहिताननाः //

Transliteration

ratheṣu tvamarāstrastās tatra tatra nililyire apare kuñcitairgātraiḥ svahastapihitānanāḥ //

Translation

But on the chariots, those struck down by the unerring missiles lay scattered here and there; others, their limbs contracted, covered their faces with their own hands.

Word by Word

• rathēṣu: on the chariots

• tu: but/indeed

• amara-āstra-stāḥ: those struck/placed under the (unfailing) divine missiles (i.e., hit by deadly arrows)

• tatra tatra: here and there

• nililyire: lay down, collapsed, lay prostrate

• apare: others

• kuñcitaiḥ: contracted, drawn in

• gātraiḥ: with limbs/bodies

• sva-hasta: with their own hands

• pihita-ananāḥ: having covered their faces.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the battle events (third-person narration within the Matsya Purana)

Tags

• Battle
• Chariots
• Kshatriya-Dharma
• War narration
• Epic-style description

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya or cosmology; it is a battlefield image describing warriors felled by missiles and others recoiling in fear or pain.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Kshatriya context of governance and warfare: kings maintain order through armies, and the text portrays the harsh reality of battle that accompanies royal duty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is mentioned; the focus is purely martial—chariots, weapons, and the condition of combatants.