Shloka 195

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

Devanagari script

जग्राहाथ धनुर्दैत्यः शरांश्चाशीविषोपमान् ववर्ष भिषजो मूर्ध्नि संछाद्याकाशगोचरम् //

Transliteration

jagrāhātha dhanurdaityaḥ śarāṃścāśīviṣopamān vavarṣa bhiṣajo mūrdhni saṃchādyākāśagocaram //

Translation

Then the demon seized his bow and, taking arrows like venomous serpents, rained them down upon Bhisaja’s head, veiling the very expanse of the sky where they flew.

Word by Word

• jagrāha atha: then seized/took up

• dhanuḥ: bow

• daityaḥ: the demon (Daitya)

• śarān: arrows

• ca: and

• āśīviṣa-upamān: comparable to poisonous snakes (deadly/venomous)

• vavarṣa: showered/rained down

• bhiṣajaḥ: upon Bhisaja (proper name, lit. ‘the physician/healer’)

• mūrdhni: on the head

• saṃchādya: covering/obscuring

• ākāśa-gocaram: the sky/air-space (the region of movement/flight).

Speaker

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

Entities Mentioned

• Daitya
• Bhisaja

Tags

• Battle
• Daityas
• Archery
• Puranic warfare
• Aerial combat

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it is a martial description emphasizing overwhelming force—arrows compared to venomous serpents that darken the sky.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the Purāṇic ideal of kṣātra themes—strategy, readiness, and the consequences of violence—often used as narrative contrast to dharma-based rule and restraint.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated here; the technical focus is on warfare poetics (serpent-like arrows, sky-obscuring missile-shower).