Shloka 103

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

सवितुर्दक्षिणं मार्गम् आश्रित्याभूतसंप्लवम् क्रियावतां प्रसंख्यैषा ये श्मशानानि भेजिरे //

Transliteration

saviturdakṣiṇaṃ mārgam āśrityābhūtasaṃplavam kriyāvatāṃ prasaṃkhyaiṣā ye śmaśānāni bhejire //

Translation

When the cataclysmic deluge arises along the Sun’s southern course, this is the reckoning of those who are faithful in rites—those who have resorted to the cremation grounds (śmaśāna).

Word by Word

• savituḥ: of the Sun (Savitṛ)

• dakṣiṇam: southern

• mārgam: path/course

• āśritya: having taken refuge in/depending upon

• ābhūta: having come to pass/arisen

• saṃplavam: deluge, inundation, cosmic flood

• kriyāvatām: of those devoted to ritual acts (funerary/vedic duties)

• prasaṃkhyā: counting, reckoning, enumeration

• eṣā: this

• ye: who/those who

• śmaśānāni: cremation grounds

• bhejire: resorted to, went to, took up (perfect tense).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Savitṛ (Sun)
• Pralaya (Saṃplava)
• Śmaśāna (cremation ground)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Saṃplava
• Ritual Duties
• Funerary Rites
• Cosmic Time

FAQs

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

It links pralaya-like inundation (saṃplava) with cosmic timing—specifically the Sun’s southern course—framing the event as an ordered, countable phase within cosmic cycles rather than random chaos.

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

By highlighting kriyāvatām (“those devoted to rites”), it implies that even amid upheaval, dharmic responsibility—especially funerary and ancestral rites—remains a defining measure of conduct for householders and rulers who uphold social order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it foregrounds śmaśāna (cremation grounds) as a liminal sacred space tied to death rites; it signals the importance of proper antyeṣṭi and related kriyā even when larger cosmic disturbances (saṃplava) are described.