Shloka 103

Matsya Purana — Yadu Lineage

Devanagari script

ततस्तु त्वरया युक्तः शीघ्रकारी भयान्वितः ज्ञात्वा विष्णुस्ततस्तस्या क्रूरं देव्याश्चिकीर्षितम् क्रुद्धः स्वमस्त्रमादाय शिरश्चिच्छेद वै भिया //

Transliteration

tatastu tvarayā yuktaḥ śīghrakārī bhayānvitaḥ jñātvā viṣṇustatastasyā krūraṃ devyāścikīrṣitam kruddhaḥ svamastramādāya śiraściccheda vai bhiyā //

Translation

Then, driven by urgency—quick to act and filled with fear—Vishnu, having understood the goddess’s cruel intent, became enraged; taking up his own weapon, he severed her head in dread.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tu: indeed/but

• tvarayā: with haste/urgency

• yuktaḥ: endowed/engaged

• śīghra-kārī: acting swiftly

• bhaya-anvitaḥ: accompanied by fear

• jñātvā: having known/understood

• viṣṇuḥ: Lord Vishnu

• tataḥ: thereafter

• tasyāḥ: of her

• krūram: cruel/terrible

• devyāḥ: of the goddess

• cikīrṣitam: intended act/design

• kruddhaḥ: enraged

• svam: his own

• astram: weapon/missile

• ādāya: taking up

• śiraḥ: head

• ciccheda: cut off/severed

• vai: indeed

• bhiyā: out of fear/dread.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the event (narrative voice within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Devi (goddess)

Tags

• Divine conflict
• Protective action
• Wrath
• Fear
• Mythic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it highlights swift divine intervention to prevent a feared, destructive outcome—an ethical motif sometimes contrasted with cosmic dissolution narratives elsewhere in the Matsya Purana.

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

It underscores the dharmic principle of preventing imminent harm: when a grave threat is understood, decisive action—guided by discernment and proportionality—is presented as necessary to protect order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu, temple-building, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it belongs to a mythic-action segment rather than the Matsya Purana’s Vastuvidya or pratima-lakshana instructions.