Shloka 24

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

तुल्या महेन्द्रपुर्यापि सोमस्यापि विभावरी मानसोत्तरपृष्ठे तु लोकपालाश्चतुर्दिशम् //

Transliteration

tulyā mahendrapuryāpi somasyāpi vibhāvarī mānasottarapṛṣṭhe tu lokapālāścaturdiśam //

Translation

There, the night called Vibhāvarī is said to be equal in splendour both to the city of Mahendra (Indra) and to Soma (the Moon). And upon the upper surface of Mānasottara stand the Lokapālas, stationed in the four directions.

Word by Word

• tulyā: equal, comparable

• mahendra-puryā api: even to Mahendra’s (Indra’s) city

• somasya api: even to Soma (the Moon)

• vibhāvarī: night (also a name of Night personified)

• mānasottara-pṛṣṭhe: on the back/upper surface of Mānasottara (mountain)

• tu: indeed/and

• loka-pālāḥ: guardians of the worlds/directions

• catur-diśam: in the four directions

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purāṇa’s cosmographic description (traditionally in dialogue-context ultimately attributed to Lord Matsya’s instruction)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Soma
• Vibhāvarī (Night)
• Mānasottara
• Lokapālas

Tags

• Cosmography
• Lokapālas
• Mānasottara
• Directional deities
• Puranic geography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to cosmographic mapping—describing Mānasottara and the placement of the Lokapālas in the four directions, which is part of the ordered structure of the universe.

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

By highlighting the Lokapālas guarding the four directions, the verse supports the Purāṇic ideal of ordered governance: a king and householder should maintain dharma through protection, boundary-keeping, and directionally aligned rites (e.g., honoring deities of quarters).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit four-direction placement of Lokapālas is a key ritual/temple-orientation cue used in Vāstu and consecration: entrances, guardian deities, and directional offerings are aligned to the quarters (caturdiś), reflecting cosmic order in built space.