Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — Rasakalyāṇinī Vrata: Magha-based Goddess Worship

Devanagari script

भुजं भुजाग्रं माधव्यै कमलायै मुखस्मिते भूललाटं च रुद्राण्यै शंकरायै तथालकान् //

Transliteration

bhujaṃ bhujāgraṃ mādhavyai kamalāyai mukhasmite bhūlalāṭaṃ ca rudrāṇyai śaṃkarāyai tathālakān //

Translation

He assigns the arm and forearm to Mādhavī; the gentle smile upon the face to Kamalā; the brows and forehead to Rudrāṇī; and likewise the locks of hair to Śaṅkara.

Word by Word

• bhujam: the arm

• bhujāgram: the forearm/hand-end (arm’s extremity)

• mādhavyai: to Mādhavī (a divine feminine name/epithet)

• kamalāyai: to Kamalā (Lakṣmī)

• mukha-smite: in/unto the smile of the face

• bhū-lalāṭam: the brow and forehead (lit. earth/forehead compound, understood as frontal region)

• ca: and

• rudrāṇyai: to Rudrāṇī (Pārvatī)

• śaṃkarāyai: to Śaṅkara (Śiva)

• tathā: likewise/so too

• alakān: locks of hair/tresses.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching on divine form/feature-assignment in an iconographic-ritual context)

Entities Mentioned

• Mādhavī
• Kamalā (Lakṣmī)
• Rudrāṇī (Pārvatī)
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Ritual Nyasa
• Vastuvidya
• Deity-Feature Mapping

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on iconographic/ritual symbolism by assigning specific bodily features to specific deities, a common Purāṇic method for sacralizing the divine form.

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

Indirectly, it guides householders and patrons (including kings) in correct devotional practice—supporting proper worship and consecration by understanding which features are ritually associated with which deities.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it reflects a nyāsa-like mapping used in consecration and worship of images; architecturally, it supports Pratima-Lakṣaṇa standards by linking sculptural features (face-smile, forehead, hair) with specific divine identities.