Shloka 17
Matsya Purana — Dhruva as Cosmic Pivot: Motions of Sun–Moon–Planets
तेषामाप्यायनं धूमः सर्वेषाम् अविशेषतः तेषां श्रेष्ठश्च पर्जन्यश् चत्वारश्चैव दिग्गजाः //
teṣāmāpyāyanaṃ dhūmaḥ sarveṣām aviśeṣataḥ teṣāṃ śreṣṭhaśca parjanyaś catvāraścaiva diggajāḥ //
For all of them alike, “smoke” (dhūma) is said to be the common means of nourishment and increase; among them Parjanya, the rain-bearing power, is held to be the foremost—and there are also the four great elephants of the quarters (diggajas).
FAQs
It reflects a cosmological ordering of sustaining forces—nourishment (āpyāyana) and rain (Parjanya) as stabilizing principles—rather than describing dissolution directly; such sustaining agencies are part of the world’s maintenance between pralaya cycles.
By elevating Parjanya (rain) as ‘foremost,’ it implies the primacy of rainfall for prosperity; a king’s dharma includes ensuring agrarian stability (water management, protection of resources), while a householder’s duty includes honoring rain-bearing deities through seasonal rites and ethical stewardship.
The mention of the four diggajas points to directional guardianship—useful for Vastu/temple orientation where quarters are ritually sanctified, and iconographic/mandala layouts often invoke directional protectors to stabilize the sacred space.