Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

त्वं कान्तिः कान्तिवपुषां त्वं सोमः सोमपायिनाम् सौम्यस्त्वं सर्वभूतानां तिमिरघ्नस्त्वम् ऋक्षराट् //

Transliteration

tvaṃ kāntiḥ kāntivapuṣāṃ tvaṃ somaḥ somapāyinām saumyastvaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ timiraghnastvam ṛkṣarāṭ //

Translation

You are the radiance of those whose bodies shine; you are Soma for the drinkers of Soma. You are the gentle, auspicious one for all beings; you are the destroyer of darkness, the sovereign of the stars.

Word by Word

• त्वम् (tvam): you

• कान्तिः (kāntiḥ): radiance, splendor

• कान्तिवपुषाम् (kāntivapuṣām): of those possessing a luminous body/beautiful form

• सोमः (somaḥ): Soma (moon/deity/nectar)

• सोमपायिनाम् (somapāyinām): of Soma-drinkers

• सौम्यः (saumyaḥ): gentle, benevolent, auspicious

• सर्वभूतानाम् (sarvabhūtānām): of all beings

• तिमिरघ्नः (timiraghnaḥ): destroyer of darkness

• ऋक्षराट् (ṛkṣarāṭ): king/lord of the ṛkṣas (stars/constellations), ruler of the celestial asterisms

Speaker

• Likely Vaivasvata Manu (or the narrator within the Matsya–Manu dialogue) offering a stotra to the Supreme Lord identified with cosmic luminaries

Entities Mentioned

• Soma
• Ṛkṣa (stars/constellations)
• The Supreme Lord (implicitly Vishnu/Matsya)

Tags

• Stotra
• Cosmic epithets
• Light vs darkness
• Soma
• Astral sovereignty

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it presents the Lord as the cosmic regulator—radiance, Soma, and the remover of darkness—implying sovereignty over the celestial order that persists through cycles of creation and dissolution.

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

By praising the Lord as 'saumya' (benevolent) and 'timiraghna' (remover of darkness), it models the ethical ideal for rulers and householders: to be gentle to all beings and to dispel ignorance and disorder through righteous conduct (dharma).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the verse aligns worship with lunar/Soma symbolism and astral lordship (ṛkṣarāṭ), supporting Soma-related offerings and night/astral contemplations; architecturally, it suggests orienting sacred space toward light (dispelling darkness) as a devotional principle rather than a technical Vastu rule.