Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Planetary Chariots

Devanagari script

परिभ्रमन्ति तद्बद्धाश् चन्द्रसूर्यग्रहा दिवि यावत्तमनुपर्येति ध्रुवं च ज्योतिषां गणः //

Transliteration

paribhramanti tadbaddhāś candrasūryagrahā divi yāvattamanuparyeti dhruvaṃ ca jyotiṣāṃ gaṇaḥ //

Translation

Bound to that (cosmic support), the Moon, the Sun, and the planets revolve in the sky, for as long as the host of luminaries continues to circle Dhruva (the Pole Star).

Word by Word

• paribhramanti: revolve, wander in orbit

• tad-baddhāḥ: bound/fastened to that (support/order)

• candra: the Moon

• sūrya: the Sun

• grahāḥ: planets (seizers, celestial bodies)

• divi: in the sky/heaven

• yāvat: as long as/so long as

• tam: that (state/order)

• anuparyeti: goes around, circumambulates, follows in circuit

• dhruvam: Dhruva, the fixed one (Pole Star)

• ca: and

• jyotiṣām: of the lights/luminaries

• gaṇaḥ: multitude, host, group.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within cosmographic teaching)

Entities Mentioned

• Chandra (Moon)
• Surya (Sun)
• Grahāḥ (Planets)
• Dhruva (Pole Star)

Tags

• Jyotisha
• Cosmography
• Dhruva
• Planets
• Purāṇic Astronomy

FAQs

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

It emphasizes cosmic order and stability: the luminaries keep their courses as long as Dhruva-centered order persists, implying that disruption of this order would belong to dissolution narratives.

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

By presenting the heavens as rule-bound and orderly, it indirectly supports the Purāṇic ethic that kings and householders should uphold dharma—regularity, restraint, and governance aligned with cosmic law.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not a Vāstu rule directly, Dhruva functions as a symbol of fixity and orientation; in ritual and sacred planning, fixed directions and stable axes (north/polar orientation) are treated as foundational principles.