Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

अशोकमधुवासिन्यै पूज्यावोष्ठौ च भूतिदौ स्थाणवे तु हरं तद्वद् धास्यं चन्द्रमुखप्रिये //

Transliteration

aśokamadhuvāsinyai pūjyāvoṣṭhau ca bhūtidau sthāṇave tu haraṃ tadvad dhāsyaṃ candramukhapriye //

Translation

To the goddess who dwells amid aśoka and madhūka blossoms, one should offer the venerable lips that bestow prosperity. Likewise, to Sthāṇu (Śiva) one should offer “Hara,” the remover of evil; and to the beloved moon-faced one, a smile.

Word by Word

• aśoka: the aśoka tree / aśoka blossoms

• madhuvāsinyai: to her who dwells in ‘madhu’ (honey/sweet blossoms, often madhūka)

• pūjya: venerable, worthy of worship

• oṣṭhau: the lips (dual)

• ca: and

• bhūtidau: bestowing prosperity/auspicious fortune

• sthāṇave: to Sthāṇu (a name of Śiva, ‘the steadfast one’)

• tu: indeed/then

• haram: hara (remover)—that which removes sin/evil

• tadvad: likewise/in the same manner

• dhāsyam: laughter/smile (hasya)

• candramukha-priye: to the beloved who is moon-faced (a goddess epithet, e.g., Pārvatī/Devī).

Speaker

• Likely Lord Matsya (teaching iconography/ritual rules) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (didactic passage).

Entities Mentioned

• Sthāṇu (Śiva)
• Hara (Śiva epithet / remover principle)
• Candramukhapriyā (moon-faced beloved goddess, likely Devī/Pārvatī)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Pratima Lakshana
• Iconography
• Ritual Offerings
• Shaiva-Śākta

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to a ritual/iconographic instruction set, emphasizing symbolic offerings and auspicious attributes connected with deities.

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

It supports the grihastha/kingly duty of maintaining proper worship (pūjā) and temple ritual order—offering deity-appropriate, auspicious items as part of dharma and public well-being.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it encodes deity-specific auspicious associations (flowers, prosperity-bestowing symbols, remover-of-evil symbolism, and ‘smile’/benevolence), typical of Matsya Purana’s Pratima-Lakshana and worship manuals used alongside temple practice.