Shloka 26

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

काष्ठागतस्य सूर्यस्य गतिस्तत्र निबोधत दक्षिणोपक्रमे सूर्यः क्षिप्तेषुरिव सर्पति //

Transliteration

kāṣṭhāgatasya sūryasya gatistatra nibodhata dakṣiṇopakrame sūryaḥ kṣipteṣuriva sarpati //

Translation

Understand here the Sun’s course when it has reached the solstitial turning-point: at the commencement of its southward journey (dakṣiṇāyana), it moves on as if creeping, like an arrow that has been shot.

Word by Word

• काष्ठागतस्य: having reached the turning-point/solstitial station (kāṣṭhā)

• सूर्यस्य: of the Sun

• गतिः: movement, course

• तत्र: there/in that matter

• निबोधत: understand, take note

• दक्षिणोपक्रमे: at the beginning of the southward course (dakṣiṇāyana)

• सूर्यः: the Sun

• क्षिप्तेषुः-इव: like a discharged arrow

• सर्पति: creeps, glides, moves onward

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, in the Matsya Purana’s didactic dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Surya (the Sun)

Tags

• Surya-gati
• Dakshinayana
• Kalachakra
• Puranic astronomy
• Seasonal rites

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it teaches astronomical timekeeping—specifically the Sun’s change of course at the start of dakṣiṇāyana—used to structure ritual calendars and seasonal observances.

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

By understanding dakṣiṇāyana (the Sun’s southward movement), a king or householder can time public rites, donations, ancestor rites, and seasonal vows appropriately—an essential duty in Purāṇic governance and domestic dharma tied to the calendar.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is calendrical: the verse flags the solstitial transition as a key marker for scheduling rites; in temple practice, such solar transitions often guide festival timing and offerings aligned with the Sun’s course.