Shloka 35

Origins of the Maruts — Origins of the Maruts Across the Manvantaras (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

समुद्धृता महाजालौर्मत्स्यबन्धेन मानिनी स तां दृष्ट्वा महाशङ्खी स्थलास्थां मत्स्यजीविकः

Transliteration

samuddhṛtā mahājālaurmatsyabandhena māninī sa tāṃ dṛṣṭvā mahāśaṅkhī sthalāsthāṃ matsyajīvikaḥ

Translation

بڑے جالوں سے مچھلی پکڑنے والے ماہی گیر نے اس مغرورہ کو کھینچ کر باہر نکالا۔ اسے—زمین پر پڑی ہوئی ایک عظیم شنکھ کی مانند—دیکھ کر، جس کی روزی مچھلی پکڑنا ہے وہ ماہی گیر متوجہ ہوا۔

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the fisherman’s capture and observation.

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-wonder in aquatic setting (implied)
• Human encounter with the marvelous
• Symbolism of śaṅkha (auspiciousness) in water narratives

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "karuna", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why is the epithet ‘māninī’ (proud one) retained even after the transformation?

Purāṇic style often preserves an earlier character-quality as an epithet across changed forms to maintain identity continuity. It hints that the transformation is not a new being but the same agent undergoing karmic or fated alteration.

What is the narrative function of the fisherman (matsyajīvika) here?

The fisherman serves as the human mediator who brings a supernatural occurrence into the social world. Such figures often become the means by which kings, sages, or Devas learn of a tīrtha-marvel, prompting the next ritual or doctrinal development.

Does ‘mahāśaṅkhī’ imply a literal conch, or a conch-like body?

In context with ‘grāhī’ from the prior verse, it is best read as conch-like appearance (size/shape/markings) rather than an ordinary conch shell. The text is highlighting an extraordinary form that invites interpretation and reporting to higher authorities.