Shloka 2

Matsya Purana — Nārāyaṇa as Haṃsa in the Cosmic Ocean: Vedic Yajña-Puruṣa and Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vi...

Devanagari script

महतो रजसो मध्ये महार्णवसरःसु वै विरजस्कं महाबाहुम् अक्षयं ब्रह्म यद्विदुः //

Transliteration

mahato rajaso madhye mahārṇavasaraḥsu vai virajaskaṃ mahābāhum akṣayaṃ brahma yadviduḥ //

Translation

In the midst of the vast expanse of rajas—within the great ocean-like waters—(the wise) know that imperishable Brahman: stainless (beyond passion), mighty-armed, and undecaying.

Word by Word

mahataḥof the great/vast

rajasaḥof rajas (the passionate, active principle / cosmic dust of activity)

madhyein the midst

mahā-arṇava-saraḥsuin the great ocean-like waters/lakes (mahārṇava = great ocean)

vaiindeed

virajaskamfree from rajas, stainless, passionless

mahā-bāhummighty-armed (a mark of supreme power)

akṣayamimperishable, undecaying

brahmaBrahman, the Absolute

yatwhich/that

viduḥ(they) know, understand (the wise know).

Speaker

Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu, within the Matsya Purana’s cosmological narration)

Entities Mentioned

BrahmanMahārṇava (Great Ocean)

FAQs

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

It points to Brahman as the imperishable, rajas-free reality that remains knowable even when the cosmos is imagined as a vast, oceanic expanse—suggesting the Absolute persists through dissolution.

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

By emphasizing virajaska (freedom from rajas), it indirectly advises rulers and householders to govern and act without being dominated by passion and agitation—cultivating steadiness, restraint, and clarity in dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vastu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse is primarily metaphysical, framing Brahman as beyond the guṇas—useful as a contemplative foundation for ritual intent rather than a technical rule.