Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — Maya’s War-Counsel to the Danavas and the Moonlit Revels in Tripura

Devanagari script

मुहुर्मुक्तोदयो भ्रान्त उदयाग्रं महामणिः तमांस्युत्सार्य भगवांश् चन्द्रो जृम्भति सो ऽम्बरम् //

Transliteration

muhurmuktodayo bhrānta udayāgraṃ mahāmaṇiḥ tamāṃsyutsārya bhagavāṃś candro jṛmbhati so 'mbaram //

Translation

Again and again, the great jewel—the Moon—seems to be released into its rising, wavering at the very edge of the horizon; driving away the masses of darkness, that radiant, lordly Moon unfolds and fills the sky.

Word by Word

• muhuḥ: again and again, repeatedly

• mukta-udayaḥ: (as if) released into rising / emerging into ascent

• bhrāntaḥ: wavering, seeming to reel (in appearance)

• udaya-agram: the foremost edge of the rising (the horizon’s rim)

• mahā-maṇiḥ: great jewel (metaphor for the Moon)

• tamāṃsi: darknesses, masses of gloom

• utsārya: driving away, dispelling

• bhagavān: glorious, radiant, venerable

• candraḥ: the Moon

• jṛmbhati: opens out, expands, unfolds (spreads its light)

• saḥ: he/that (Moon)

• ambaram: the sky, firmament

Speaker

• Sūta (narrative voice) describing cosmological imagery (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s celestial sections)

Entities Mentioned

• Chandra (Moon)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Sacred Astronomy
• Chandra
• Poetic Imagery
• Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not a Pralaya statement; it presents a cosmological image of order—Chandra’s rise dispelling darkness—highlighting rhythmic, law-governed celestial cycles rather than dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it models dharmic governance through metaphor: as the Moon removes darkness and stabilizes the night, a king or householder is expected to remove social ‘darkness’ (confusion, fear) through clarity, protection, and steady conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-rule detail is stated, but the verse supports ritual timing and sacred-calendar sensibility: lunar visibility and the ‘rising edge’ (udayāgra) are key observational motifs behind tithi-based rites and night observances.