Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Skanda’s Consecration

Devanagari script

नमो धृतोदग्रपताकिने नमस्ते नमः प्रभावप्रणताय ते ऽस्तु नमस्ते नमस्ते वरवीर्यशालिने कृपापरो नो भव भव्यमूर्ते //

Transliteration

namo dhṛtodagrapatākine namaste namaḥ prabhāvapraṇatāya te 'stu namaste namaste varavīryaśāline kṛpāparo no bhava bhavyamūrte //

Translation

Salutations to you who bear the lofty banner aloft! Homage to you—may my reverent bowing to your majesty be fulfilled. Salutations, salutations to you, endowed with supreme valor and power. O auspicious-formed Lord, be compassionate toward us; be our gracious protector.

Word by Word

• namo/namas/namaste: homage, salutations

• dhṛta: borne, held

• udagra: lofty, exalted, towering

• patākin: banner-bearing, standard-bearer

• prabhāva: majesty, might, divine power

• praṇata: bowed down, one who prostrates

• te: to you/your

• astu: let it be, may it be

• vara: excellent, supreme

• vīrya: valor, potency, heroic power

• śālin: possessing, endowed with

• kṛpā-paraḥ: chiefly compassionate, devoted to mercy

• naḥ/no: to us/for us

• bhava: become, be (our refuge)

• bhavya-mūrte: O one of auspicious form/manifestation

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (offering a stuti/prayer to Lord Matsya-Vishnu during the deluge episode)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu)
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Pralaya
• Stuti
• Matsya Avatara
• Divine Protection
• Bhakti

FAQs

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

It presents the Pralaya setting indirectly through a plea for divine protection: Manu praises the Lord’s overpowering majesty and asks for compassion, consistent with the flood narrative where the deity safeguards beings through dissolution.

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

It models the kingly virtue of śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge in dharma and the divine) and humility before cosmic power—an ethical posture expected of rulers and householders in crisis: reverence, restraint, and reliance on righteous protection rather than arrogance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-building rule is stated; the verse functions as a ritual stuti (praise-prayer), suitable for recitation in protective rites and devotional worship, emphasizing the deity’s auspicious form and compassionate guardianship.