Shloka 42

Matsya Purana — Cosmic Architecture of Sun–Moon and the ‘Houses of the Gods’

Devanagari script

शनैश्चरो ऽविशत्स्थानम् एवं शानैश्चरं तथा बुधो ऽपि वै बुधस्थानं भानुं स्वर्भानुरेव च //

Transliteration

śanaiścaro 'viśatsthānam evaṃ śānaiścaraṃ tathā budho 'pi vai budhasthānaṃ bhānuṃ svarbhānureva ca //

Translation

Śanaiścara (Saturn) entered his own station; thus each planet entered its respective place. Budha (Mercury) too entered the station of Budha; and Bhānu (the Sun) as well, and Svarbhānu (Rāhu) also.

Word by Word

• शनैश्चरः (śanaiścaraḥ): Saturn

• अविशत् (aviśat): entered

• स्थानम् (sthānam): station/place/orbit

• एवम् (evam): thus/in this manner

• तथा (tathā): likewise

• बुधः (budhaḥ): Mercury

• अपि (api): also

• वै (vai): indeed

• बुधस्थानम् (budhasthānam): Mercury’s station

• भानुम् (bhānum): the Sun

• स्वर्भानुः (svarbhānuḥ): Svarbhānu (Rāhu, the eclipse-causing node)

• एव (eva): just/indeed

• च (ca): and

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) recounting the cosmographic/jyotiṣa sequence within Matsya Purana

Entities Mentioned

• Śanaiścara (Saturn)
• Budha (Mercury)
• Bhānu (Sun)
• Svarbhānu (Rāhu)

Tags

• Jyotisha
• Grahas
• Cosmography
• Planetary order
• Eclipses

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya directly; it presents an ordered settling of grahas into their respective stations, a cosmographic/jyotiṣa detail rather than a flood or dissolution passage.

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

By naming grahas and their stations, it supports the jyotiṣa framework used for calendrical timing (muhūrta), eclipses, and auspicious/inauspicious considerations—tools traditionally consulted by kings for governance and by householders for rites and life-cycle rituals.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Indirectly ritual: graha-sthāna knowledge underpins selecting auspicious times for temple consecration, image installation, and major rites; the verse itself does not give Vāstu measurements but supplies the planetary context often used in ritual scheduling.