Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 77

Devanagari script

चक्रे बाणमयं जालं दिक्षु यक्षाधिपस्य तु चिछेद बाणजालं तद् अर्धचन्द्रैः शितैस्ततः //

Transliteration

cakre bāṇamayaṃ jālaṃ dikṣu yakṣādhipasya tu cicheda bāṇajālaṃ tad ardhacandraiḥ śitaistataḥ //

Translation

അപ്പോൾ യക്ഷാധിപൻ എല്ലാ ദിക്കുകളിലുമായി അമ്പുകളുടെ വല വിരിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ എതിരാളി മൂർച്ചയുള്ള അർദ്ധചന്ദ്രാകൃതിയിലുള്ള ശരങ്ങളാൽ ആ അമ്പുവല ഉടൻ ഛേദിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• cakre: he made/formed

• bāṇamayam: consisting of arrows

• jālam: a net, mesh

• dikṣu: in the directions, on all sides

• yakṣādhipasya: of the lord of the Yakṣas (Kubera)

• tu: indeed/but

• cicheda: cut asunder

• bāṇajālam: the net of arrows

• tat: that

• ardhacandraiḥ: with half-moon/crescent-shaped arrows

• śitaiḥ: sharp, keen

• tataḥ: then, thereafter

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the battle

Entities Mentioned

• Yakṣādhipa (Kubera)
• Yakṣas

Tags

• Battle
• Archery
• Heroic narrative
• Kṣatriya valor
• Weapons

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a battlefield description emphasizing martial prowess and the countering of weapons.

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

It reflects the Kṣatriya duty of protection and disciplined warfare—meeting aggression with skill and restraint, a recurring ethical ideal in Purāṇic royal narratives.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated here; the technical focus is on archery imagery (arrow-net and crescent-headed arrows) used to portray combat mastery.