Shloka 55
Matsya Purana — Cosmic Architecture of Sun–Moon and the ‘Houses of the Gods’
अष्टरश्मिशनेस्तत्तु कृष्णं वृद्धमयस्मयम् स्वर्भानोस्त्वायसं स्थानं भूतसंतापनालयम् //
aṣṭaraśmiśanestattu kṛṣṇaṃ vṛddhamayasmayam svarbhānostvāyasaṃ sthānaṃ bhūtasaṃtāpanālayam //
But Śani (Saturn) is eight-rayed, dark in hue, and of an aged appearance, fashioned as if of iron. And Svarbhānu (Rāhu) has an iron-like abode—an abode that becomes a place of torment for beings.
FAQs
It does not describe Pralaya directly; it gives a cosmological/iconographic detail about Śani and Svarbhānu (Rāhu), portraying their nature as heavy, iron-like, and afflictive—ideas often connected with karmic suffering rather than cosmic dissolution.
Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethical view that actions yield consequences: grahas like Śani and Rāhu symbolize affliction and restraint. A king or householder is therefore urged to uphold dharma, practice self-control, and perform remedial ritual charity/discipline to reduce suffering indicated by such malefic forces.
Architecturally none is specified; ritually, the verse functions as a dhyāna-style descriptor for graha contemplation—Śani as dark and iron-like, and Rāhu’s realm as afflictive—useful for graha-śānti framing in Purāṇic practice.