Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 16

Devanagari script

दण्डं मुमोच कोपेन ज्वालामालासमाकुलम् स गदां वियति प्राप्य ररासाम्बुधरो यथा //

Transliteration

daṇḍaṃ mumoca kopena jvālāmālāsamākulam sa gadāṃ viyati prāpya rarāsāmbudharo yathā //

Translation

കോപത്തോടെ അവൻ ജ്വാലാമാലകളാൽ പൊതിഞ്ഞ ദണ്ഡം എറിഞ്ഞു; ആ ഗദ ആകാശത്തിലെത്തി മഴവഹ മേഘംപോലെ ഗർജ്ജിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• दण्डम् (daṇḍam): staff/rod, punitive weapon

• मुमोच (mumoca): released, hurled

• कोपेन (kopena): in anger, with wrath

• ज्वालामाला-समाकुलम् (jvālāmālā-samākulam): filled/encircled with garlands of flames

• सः (saḥ): that/he

• गदाम् (gadām): mace

• वियति (viyati): in the sky, in mid-air

• प्राप्य (prāpya): having reached, after attaining

• ररास (rarāsa): roared, resounded loudly

• अम्बुधरः (ambudharaḥ): cloud (lit. “water-bearer”), rain-cloud

• यथा (yathā): like, as.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the combat scene (third-person narration within the Matsya Purana’s discourse)

Tags

• Rajadharma
• Warfare
• Astra-Shastra
• Kshatriya valor
• Puranic imagery

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it uses a rain-cloud simile to convey the weapon’s thunderous roar in a battle setting.

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

It reflects the Rajadharma theme where a ruler/warrior must employ daṇḍa (punitive force) when required—here dramatized as controlled martial power expressed through weaponry.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is primarily a poetic martial description (alankāra) using fire-garlands and thundercloud imagery.