Matsya Purana — War of Devas and Dānavas: Yama and Kubera Defeated; Kālanemi’s Māyā and the A..., Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कृतान्तं मर्दितं दृष्ट्वा गदापाणिर्धनाधिपः वृतो यक्षायुतशतैर् जम्भं प्रत्युद्ययौ रुषा //

Transliteration

kṛtāntaṃ marditaṃ dṛṣṭvā gadāpāṇirdhanādhipaḥ vṛto yakṣāyutaśatair jambhaṃ pratyudyayau ruṣā //

Translation

ครั้นเห็นกฤตานตะ (ความตาย) ถูกบดขยี้แล้ว พระผู้เป็นใหญ่แห่งทรัพย์ผู้ถือกระบอง ถูกห้อมล้อมด้วยยักษะนับแสน จึงก้าวออกไปด้วยความพิโรธเพื่อเผชิญหน้าชัมภะ

Word by Word

• कृतान्तम् (kṛtāntam): Kṛtānta, the Lord of Death

• मर्दितम् (marditam): crushed/struck down, subdued

• दृष्ट्वा (dṛṣṭvā): having seen

• गदापाणिः (gadāpāṇiḥ): one whose hand holds a mace

• धनाधिपः (dhanādhipaḥ): lord of wealth (Kubera)

• वृतः (vṛtaḥ): surrounded/attended

• यक्षायुतशतैः (yakṣāyutaśataiḥ): by hundreds of thousands (ayuta = ten-thousand) of Yakṣas

• जम्भम् (jambham): Jambha (a powerful foe, often counted among daityas/asuras)

• प्रत्युद्ययौ (pratyudyayau): went forth to confront/advanced to meet

• रुषा (ruṣā): with anger, in wrath

Speaker

• Suta (Pauranic narrator) describing the episode (likely within the Matsya–Manu dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Kṛtānta (Yama/Death)
• Dhanādhipa (Kubera)
• Yakṣas
• Jambha

Tags

• Puranic battles
• Yakṣa lore
• Kubera
• Daitya-Asura conflicts
• Matsya Purana narrative

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a martial narrative scene highlighting divine/semidivine forces reacting to the subduing of Kṛtānta (Death) and moving to confront Jambha.

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

Indirectly, it models the kṣātra ethos: when order is threatened (here symbolized by the striking down of Kṛtānta), a protector-figure mobilizes allies and confronts the aggressor—an archetype later applied to a king’s duty to defend dharma and the realm.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu, temple iconography, or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it belongs to the narrative-heroic register rather than the Vastuvidyā sections.