Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 136

Devanagari script

वायुना तेन चन्द्रेण संशुष्केण हिमेन च व्यथिता दानवाः सर्वे शीतोच्छिन्ना विपौरुषाः //

Transliteration

vāyunā tena candreṇa saṃśuṣkeṇa himena ca vyathitā dānavāḥ sarve śītocchinnā vipauruṣāḥ //

Translation

ಆ ಗಾಳಿ, ಚಂದ್ರನ ಶೀತಪ್ರಭಾವ ಮತ್ತು ಶಕ್ತಿಯನ್ನು ಒಣಗಿಸಿದ ಹಿಮದಿಂದ ಪೀಡಿತರಾದ ದಾನವರೆಲ್ಲರು ಶೀತದಿಂದ ಕುಗ್ಗಿ, ಪೌರುಷವಿಹೀನರಾದರು।

Word by Word

• वायुना (vāyunā): by the wind

• तेन (tena): by that

• चन्द्रेण (candreṇa): by the moon / by the lunar influence

• संशुष्केण (saṃśuṣkeṇa): dried up, parched

• हिमेन (himena): by frost/snow, by icy cold

• च (ca): and

• व्यथिता (vyathitāḥ): pained, afflicted, distressed

• दानवाः (dānavāḥ): Dānavas (a class of anti-god beings)

• सर्वे (sarve): all

• शीतोच्छिन्नाः (śītocchinnāḥ): severed/overpowered by cold, broken by chill

• विपौरुषाः (vipauruṣāḥ): bereft of valor/manliness, lacking heroic strength

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) or the primary Purāṇic narrator describing the event (contextual narration within Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Dānavas
• Candra (Moon)
• Vāyu (Wind)
• Hima (Frost/Cold)

Tags

• Deva-Asura conflict
• Cosmic forces
• Puranic warfare
• Divine affliction
• Matsya Purana narrative

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead, it shows how cosmic elements (wind, lunar chill, frost) can act as overwhelming forces that weaken beings—an idea consistent with Purāṇic cosmology where nature itself becomes a divine instrument.

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

Indirectly, it suggests a dharmic lesson in strategy and governance: strength is not only physical—conditions, timing, and environmental factors can decide outcomes. A king (or householder) should act with foresight, discipline, and awareness of larger forces beyond mere bravado.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; its takeaway is symbolic—‘cold’ as a force that drains vigor—sometimes echoed in ritual and ascetic contexts where control of bodily energies is emphasized.