Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

वक्षःस्थलं समाश्रित्य विष्णोः सौभाग्यमास्थितम् रसरूपं ततो यावत् प्राप्नोति वसुधातलम् //

Transliteration

vakṣaḥsthalaṃ samāśritya viṣṇoḥ saubhāgyamāsthitam rasarūpaṃ tato yāvat prāpnoti vasudhātalam //

Translation

Resting upon Viṣṇu’s chest, his auspicious fortune is established; from there it assumes the form of rasa, the vital essence, and extends downward until it reaches the surface of the earth.

Word by Word

• वक्षःस्थलम् (vakṣaḥsthalam): the chest-region

• समाश्रित्य (samāśritya): having taken refuge/resting upon

• विष्णोः (viṣṇoḥ): of Vishnu

• सौभाग्यम् (saubhāgyam): auspicious fortune, prosperity (Sri)

• आस्थितम् (āsthitam): established, abiding

• रस-रूपम् (rasa-rūpam): in the form of essence/sap (vital fluid)

• ततः (tataḥ): from there

• यावत् (yāvat): as far as, until

• प्राप्नोति (prāpnoti): reaches, attains

• वसुधा-तलम् (vasudhā-talam): the earth’s surface/ground-plane.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (as Vishnu) addressing Vaivasvata Manu (iconographic instruction context)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Sri (Saubhagya/Auspicious Fortune)
• Vasudha (Earth)

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Vishnu
• Auspicious Marks
• Sacred Anatomy

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it is iconographic-theological, describing how auspiciousness (Sri) abides on Vishnu’s chest and is envisioned as pervading downward toward the earthly plane.

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

By portraying prosperity (saubhāgya/Sri) as grounded in Vishnu, the verse supports the Matsya Purana’s ethic that kings and householders should seek wealth and well-being through dharma and devotion, treating prosperity as sacred and responsibly upheld.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In pratima-lakshana (iconography), it guides how Vishnu’s chest is to be conceived/marked as the seat of Sri—useful for sculptors, painters, and consecration rituals that emphasize auspicious placement and sacred body-mapping in temple images.