Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

श्वेतभानुर् हिमतनुर् ज्योतिषाम् अधिपः शशी अधिकृत् कालयोगात्मा इष्टो यज्ञरसो ऽव्ययः //

Transliteration

śvetabhānur himatanur jyotiṣām adhipaḥ śaśī adhikṛt kālayogātmā iṣṭo yajñaraso 'vyayaḥ //

Translation

The Moon (Śaśī) shines with a white radiance and bears a cool body; he is the lord of the luminaries. He is the ordainer, whose nature is the conjunction of Time; he is the cherished one—the imperishable essence (rasa) of sacrifice.

Word by Word

• śvetabhānuḥ: white-rayed, of white radiance

• himatanuḥ: cool-bodied, having a chilled form

• jyotiṣām: of the lights/luminaries (celestial bodies)

• adhipaḥ: lord, ruler

• śaśī: the Moon

• adhikṛt: ordainer, appointing authority

• kāla-yoga-ātmā: whose essence is the conjunction/ordering of time (time’s combinations, phases)

• iṣṭaḥ: beloved, cherished, worship-worthy

• yajña-rasaḥ: the essence/flavor of sacrifice (sacrificial potency)

• avyayaḥ: imperishable, undecaying.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating a stotra/praise within the Matsya Purāṇa’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Śaśī (Chandra, the Moon)
• Jyotiṣa (luminaries/celestial lights)
• Kāla (Time)
• Yajña (Sacrifice)

Tags

• Stotra
• Chandra
• Jyotiṣa
• Yajña
• Kāla

FAQs

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

It frames the Moon as governed by and embodying kāla-yoga (the ordering of time), implying that cosmic processes—including cycles leading to dissolution—operate through regulated time and celestial order rather than randomness.

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

By calling the Moon the imperishable yajñarasa (essence of sacrifice), it underscores the Purāṇic ethic that householders and rulers should sustain dharma through yajña, calendrical observances, and time-regulated rites aligned with lunar phases.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights lunar time (tithi/phase) as a key regulator of sacrifices and vows; in temple practice, such verses support scheduling worship, fasts, and consecrations according to lunar calculations central to Purāṇic ritual procedure.