Shloka 52

Matsya Purana — Dhruva as Cosmic Pivot: Motions of Sun–Moon–Planets

Devanagari script

मण्डलानि भ्रमन्ते ऽस्य खेचरस्य रथस्य तु कुलालचक्रभ्रमवन् मण्डलं सर्वतोदिशम् //

Transliteration

maṇḍalāni bhramante 'sya khecarasya rathasya tu kulālacakrabhramavan maṇḍalaṃ sarvatodiśam //

Translation

The maṇḍalas (spheres or orbits) of this sky-moving chariot revolve; its circle turns in every direction, like the spinning wheel of a potter.

Word by Word

• मण्डलानि: circles/spheres/orbital discs

• भ्रमन्ते: revolve, move in rotation

• अस्य: of this

• खेचरस्य: of the sky-moving (celestial) one

• रथस्य: of the chariot

• तु: indeed/and

• कुलाल: potter

• चक्र: wheel

• भ्रमवत्: like something spinning/whirling

• मण्डलं: the circle/orbit/disc

• सर्वतोदिशम्: in all directions, on every side

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) conveying the Matsya Purāṇa’s cosmographic account (dialogue-frame attribution to Matsya–Manu is not explicit in this standalone verse)

Entities Mentioned

• khecara-ratha (celestial chariot)
• maṇḍala (celestial circles/orbits)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Astral motion
• Purāṇic astronomy
• Simile
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

It does not directly discuss Pralaya; it focuses on cosmography—how celestial circles/orbits are imagined to rotate in the sky.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ideal that rulers and householders should align rituals and calendars with cosmic order (ṛta), since time and auspiciousness are tied to perceived celestial motions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu rule is stated, but the image of a perfectly rotating ‘wheel’ (cakra) is often used in ritual/cosmological thinking to emphasize symmetry and directional completeness—useful for understanding why mandalas and directional layouts matter in later Vāstu and temple-planning contexts.