Matsya Purana — The Devasura War: Tumult, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पदातिरेको बहुभिर् गजैर्मत्तैश्च युज्यते ततः प्रासाशनिगदाभिन्दिपालपरश्वधैः //

Transliteration

padātireko bahubhir gajairmattaiśca yujyate tataḥ prāsāśanigadābhindipālaparaśvadhaiḥ //

Translation

Ensuite, le surplus d’infanterie est déployé avec de nombreux éléphants en rut, et le combat se poursuit alors avec des lances, des dards, des massues de fer, des gourdins, des projectiles bhindipāla et des haches de guerre.

Word by Word

• padātirekaḥ: surplus/excess infantry

• bahubhiḥ: with many

• gajaiḥ: with elephants

• mattaiḥ: rutting, intoxicated (in musth)

• ca: and

• yujyate: is yoked/deployed/engaged

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• prāsa: spear

• āśa: dart/throwing weapon

• nigadā: iron club/mace

• bhindipāla: a missile/throwing weapon (bhindipāla)

• paraśvadhaḥ: battle-axe

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating traditional martial procedure within the Matsya Purana’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Gaja (elephants)
• Padāti (infantry)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Yuddha
• Military
• Weapons
• Battle-array

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is martial in focus, describing troop deployment and weaponry rather than cosmology or pralaya.

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

It aligns with rājadharma by outlining practical conduct of warfare—how a king’s forces (infantry and elephants) are to be committed and with what weapons, implying disciplined, organized battle rather than chaos.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the technical content here is military: categories of troops and a specific list of weapons.