Shloka 185

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

Devanagari script

दृश्यन्ते पतिता भूमौ शस्त्रभिन्नाङ्गसंधयः विभुजा भिन्नमूर्धानस् तथा छिन्नोरुजानवः //

Transliteration

dṛśyante patitā bhūmau śastrabhinnāṅgasaṃdhayaḥ vibhujā bhinnamūrdhānas tathā chinnorujānavaḥ //

Translation

Seen lying fallen on the ground are warriors whose limbs and joints have been split by weapons—some with their heads cleft by mighty arms, and others with their thighs and knees severed.

Word by Word

• dṛśyante: are seen

• patitāḥ: fallen

• bhūmau: on the ground

• śastra-bhinna: split/cleft by weapons

• aṅga-saṃdhayaḥ: limb-joints, articulations

• vibhu-jā: by mighty arms/strong blows

• bhinna-mūrdhānaḥ: those with split heads

• tathā: and also

• chinna: cut off, severed

• ūru: thighs

• jānavaḥ (jānu): knees

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the scene within the Matsya Purana’s running narration

Tags

• Battlefield
• Violence
• Karma
• Naraka-Varṇana
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe cosmic dissolution; it depicts worldly destruction caused by warfare—an immediate, human-scale ‘pralaya-like’ ruin where bodies are shattered by weapons.

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

By emphasizing the gruesome cost of conflict, it implicitly supports the Purāṇic ethic that rulers must avoid needless violence, restrain aggression, and employ force only as dharma requires—since war brings massive suffering.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its significance is narrative and moral—highlighting the consequences of weapon-based violence rather than temple-building or rites.