Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

रजनीचरनाथो ऽपि किं भीत इव भाषसे राक्षसेन्द्र क्षताराते त्वमरातिक्षतो यथा //

Transliteration

rajanīcaranātho 'pi kiṃ bhīta iva bhāṣase rākṣasendra kṣatārāte tvamarātikṣato yathā //

Translation

രാത്രിചരന്മാരുടെ അധിപനായിട്ടും നീ എന്തുകൊണ്ട് ഭീതനായവനെപ്പോലെ സംസാരിക്കുന്നു? ഹേ രാക്ഷസേന്ദ്രാ, ഹേ ശത്രുഹന്താ, നീ ശത്രുക്കളാൽ ക്ഷതപ്പെട്ടവനെപ്പോലെ പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• rajanī-cara-nāthaḥ: lord of the night-roamers (Rākṣasas)

• api: even/though

• kim: why?

• bhītaḥ iva: as if frightened

• bhāṣase: you speak

• rākṣasa-indra: O king of Rākṣasas

• kṣata-arāte: O slayer of enemies (lit. 'one whose enemies are struck')

• tvam: you

• arāti-kṣataḥ: wounded/struck by enemies

• yathā: as/like

Speaker

• An opposing warrior/taunter addressing the Rākṣasa-king (contextual narrator-speech within the episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Rākṣasa (night-roamers)
• Rākṣasendra (king of Rākṣasas)

Tags

• Battle-dialogue
• Rākṣasas
• Heroic-taunt
• Puranic-narrative
• Kṣatriya-ethos

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is a martial taunt focused on fearlessness and reputation in battle, not on cosmology or Pralaya.

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

It reflects the Kṣatriya ideal expected of rulers and war-leaders: steadiness, courage, and speech consistent with one’s status—especially when commanding others.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is explicit; the verse belongs to narrative war-speech rather than Vastu Shastra, iconography, or ritual procedure.