Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Glory of Tīrtha-Śrāddha: Best Times

Devanagari script

यत्र तत्काञ्चनं द्वारम् अष्टादशभुजो हरः नेमिस्तु हरिचक्रस्य शीर्णा यत्राभवत्पुरा //

Transliteration

yatra tatkāñcanaṃ dvāram aṣṭādaśabhujo haraḥ nemistu haricakrasya śīrṇā yatrābhavatpurā //

Translation

There stands that golden gateway; there is seen Hara (Śiva) bearing eighteen arms; and there, long ago, the rim of Hari’s (Viṣṇu’s) discus (cakra) was shattered.

Word by Word

• yatra: where/at which place

• tat: that (well-known)

• kāñcanam: golden

• dvāram: gate/doorway/portal

• aṣṭādaśa-bhujaḥ: eighteen-armed

• haraḥ: Hara (Śiva)

• nemiḥ: rim/felloe (of a wheel)

• tu: indeed/and

• hari-cakrasya: of Hari’s discus (Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana)

• śīrṇā: broken/shattered/crumbled

• yatra: where

• abhavat: became/occurred

• purā: formerly/in ancient times.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (likely kṣetra/tīrtha description context)

Entities Mentioned

• Hara (Shiva)
• Hari (Vishnu)
• Hari-cakra (Sudarshana Chakra)
• Kanchana-dvara (golden gate)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred geography
• Iconography
• Shaiva-Vaishnava harmony
• Temple gateway

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it functions as a kṣetra-lakṣaṇa (site-marker) verse, identifying a sacred locale through enduring signs—an ancient golden gateway, an iconic form of Hara, and a legendary event involving Hari’s discus.

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

By pointing out recognized sacred markers, it supports the king/householder duty of honoring tīrthas and temples—maintaining gateways, venerating established deities, and preserving remembered sacred history connected to the site.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The “golden gateway” highlights the ritual and architectural importance of the dvāra (temple entrance) as a sanctified threshold; the verse also signals iconographic prescription/recognition (an eighteen-armed form of Hara) as a defining feature of the shrine or sacred complex.