Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Saubhagya-Śayana Vow: Lalitā/Gaurī–Śiva Worship

Devanagari script

शिवं वेदात्मने तद्वद् रुद्राण्यै कण्ठमर्चयेत् त्रिपुरघ्नाय विश्वेशम् अनन्तायै करद्वयम् //

Transliteration

śivaṃ vedātmane tadvad rudrāṇyai kaṇṭhamarcayet tripuraghnāya viśveśam anantāyai karadvayam //

Translation

One should worship Śiva as the very soul of the Vedas; likewise, one should worship Rudrāṇī at the throat. Then one should worship Viśveśa as Tripuraghna, and Anantā at the two hands.

Word by Word

śivamŚiva (the auspicious Lord)

vedātmaneto the One whose essence is the Veda / the soul of the Vedas

tadvadlikewise, in the same manner

rudrāṇyaito Rudrāṇī (Śiva’s Śakti)

kaṇṭhamthe throat/neck region

arcayetone should worship/offer reverence

tripuraghnāyato Tripuraghna (the slayer of the three cities, epithet of Śiva)

viśveśamViśveśa (Lord of the universe, a form/name of Śiva)

anantāyaito Anantā (the endless/infinite goddess, a Śakti-name)

karadvayamthe pair of hands / both hands

Speaker

Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within ritual/iconographic teaching)

Entities Mentioned

ŚivaVedātmā (epithet of Śiva)RudrāṇīTripuraghnaViśveśaAnantā

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it teaches a ritual mapping of divine epithets onto specific body parts (aṅga-pūjā/nyāsa) in Śiva–Śakti worship.

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

It supports the householder/kingly duty of maintaining dharma through proper pūjā: disciplined, text-guided worship that honors both Śiva and Śakti with prescribed placements and names.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it encodes aṅga-wise worship—throat for Rudrāṇī and hands for Anantā—useful in temple liturgy and iconographic consecration (pratiṣṭhā) where deities are invoked into specific limbs/parts.