Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Rite and Layout for Consecrating Ponds

Devanagari script

षोडशारं ततश्चक्रं पद्मगर्भं चतुर्मुखम् चतुरस्रं च परितो वृत्तं मध्ये सुशोभनम् //

Transliteration

ṣoḍaśāraṃ tataścakraṃ padmagarbhaṃ caturmukham caturasraṃ ca parito vṛttaṃ madhye suśobhanam //

Translation

Then one should draw a sixteen-spoked wheel, with a lotus at its core and four faces (or four openings). Around it there should be a square enclosure, and in the middle a well-adorned circular form.

Word by Word

• ṣoḍaśāram: sixteen-spoked

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• cakram: wheel/circular diagram

• padma-garbham: having a lotus as its womb/core

• caturmukham: four-faced/four-opening (or oriented to four directions)

• caturasram: square (four-sided enclosure)

• ca: and

• paritaḥ: all around

• vṛttam: circle/circular ring

• madhye: in the middle

• su-śobhanam: beautiful/well-ornamented

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within the Matsya Purana’s Vastuvidya discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Vastu (sacred diagram)
• Padma (lotus)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Yantra
• Mandala
• Temple Architecture
• Ritual Diagram

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to the Matsya Purana’s Vastuvidya material, prescribing a sacred geometric layout (chakra–padma) used for ritual/architectural planning.

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

It supports dharmic duties indirectly: kings and householders were expected to commission or build sanctified spaces correctly; the prescribed mandala ensures orderly, auspicious construction aligned to the four directions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It specifies a precise mandala/yantra plan—sixteen spokes, lotus-centered, four-directional (caturmukha), with a surrounding square and a central circular feature—used as a blueprint for temple/altar layouts and consecration-oriented design.