Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Indra Sends Soma to Battle: Frost-Weapon

Devanagari script

क्षयवृद्धी तव व्यक्ते सागरस्येव मण्डले परिवर्तस्यहोरात्रं कालं जगति योजयन् //

Transliteration

kṣayavṛddhī tava vyakte sāgarasyeva maṇḍale parivartasyahorātraṃ kālaṃ jagati yojayan //

Translation

Your manifest waxing and waning—like the ocean’s circular expanse—sets the turning of day and night in motion, thereby measuring and applying Time within the world.

Word by Word

• kṣaya-vṛddhī: diminution and increase (waning and waxing)

• tava: your

• vyakte: manifest, clearly perceptible

• sāgarasya: of the ocean

• iva: like

• maṇḍale: in the circle/orb, circular expanse

• parivartasya: of the turning/rotation, of the recurring cycle

• ahorātram: day and night

• kālam: Time (as cosmic principle)

• jagati: in the world

• yojayan: arranging, yoking, regulating, causing to function

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (addressing Lord Matsya / Viṣṇu as the cosmic regulator of Time)

Entities Mentioned

• Kāla (Time)
• Ahorātra (day-night cycle)
• Sāgara (ocean, as simile)

Tags

• Kāla
• CosmicCycles
• Pralaya
• Vishnu
• MatsyaPuranaPhilosophy

FAQs

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

It presents Kāla (Time) as a divine, world-governing force expressed through recurring cycles (day and night), the same cyclic logic that also underlies larger rhythms like dissolution and renewal.

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

By grounding order in regular cycles, it implies that rulers and householders should align conduct, vows, and governance with disciplined timekeeping—daily duties (nitya-karma) and timely decision-making reflect cosmic order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Indirectly, it supports ritual scheduling: rites, temple services, and observances depend on ahorātra (day–night reckoning), a foundational principle for calendrical timing used in worship and consecrations.