Matsya Purana — The Strategy to Defeat Tāraka: Pārvatī’s Birth, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

व्यक्तं मेरौ यज्जनायुस्तवाभूद् एवं विद्मस्त्वत्प्रणीतश्चकास्ति व्यक्तं देवा जन्मनः शाश्वतस्य द्यौस्ते मूर्धा लोचने चन्द्रसूर्यौ //

Transliteration

vyaktaṃ merau yajjanāyustavābhūd evaṃ vidmastvatpraṇītaścakāsti vyaktaṃ devā janmanaḥ śāśvatasya dyauste mūrdhā locane candrasūryau //

Translation

Offenkundig ist, dass die Lebensspanne der Wesen auf Meru festgesetzt ist; so wissen wir, dass all dies von dir gegründet und zum Leuchten gebracht wird. Offenkundig sind auch die Götter, aus dem Ewigen geboren: der Himmel ist dein Haupt, und Mond und Sonne sind deine beiden Augen.

Word by Word

• व्यक्तम् (vyaktam): clearly, manifestly

• मेरौ (merau): on/at Mount Meru

• यत् (yat): which/that

• जन-आयुः (jana-āyuḥ): the lifespan of creatures/people

• तव (tava): your

• अभूत् (abhūt): has become/is

• एवम् (evam): thus

• विद्मः (vidmaḥ): we know

• त्वत्-प्रणीतः (tvat-praṇītaḥ): established/ordained by you

• च (ca): and

• कास्ति (kāsti): shines/appears (as ‘is manifest’)

• देवाः (devāḥ): the gods

• जन्मनः (janmanaḥ): by birth/of the birth (origin)

• शाश्वतस्य (śāśvatasya): of the eternal

• द्यौः (dyauḥ): heaven/sky

• ते (te): your

• मूर्धा (mūrdhā): head

• लोचने (locane): the two eyes

• चन्द्र-सूर्यौ (candra-sūryau): the Moon and the Sun

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) / Purana voice praising the Supreme as the Cosmic Person (contextually aligned with Vishnu as the sustaining principle)

Entities Mentioned

• Mount Meru
• Devas
• Dyau (Heaven)
• Chandra (Moon)
• Surya (Sun)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Virat-Purusha
• Puranic Theology
• Sacred Geography
• Solar-Lunar Symbolism

FAQs

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

Rather than describing Pralaya directly, the verse asserts a cosmic order upheld by the Eternal—time and lifespan are ‘set’ in relation to Meru, and the gods arise within this divinely structured cosmos.

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

By portraying the universe as divinely ordained order (ṛta/dharma), it implies that rulers and householders should govern life according to that order—protecting stability, honoring the gods, and aligning conduct with the cosmic law sustained by the Supreme.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Meru and the cosmic-body mapping (sky as head; sun and moon as eyes) supports temple/Vāstu symbolism where the shrine mirrors the cosmic person—orientation to the sun and lunar-solar iconography becomes ritually meaningful.