Shloka 66

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

चरन्नसावुदीच्यां च ह्य् अशीत्या मण्डलाञ्छतम् अभ्यन्तरं स पर्येति क्रमते मण्डलानि तु //

Transliteration

carannasāvudīcyāṃ ca hy aśītyā maṇḍalāñchatam abhyantaraṃ sa paryeti kramate maṇḍalāni tu //

Translation

And as it moves northward, it traverses within a hundred maṇḍalas by eighty stages; thus it proceeds, passing through the maṇḍalas in due order.

Word by Word

• caran: moving, traversing

• asau: that one (here, the Sun)

• udīcyām: in the northern direction/northward

• ca: and

• hi: indeed

• aśītyā: by eighty (as a measure/stages)

• maṇḍalān: circles/zones/orbital circuits

• śatam: a hundred

• abhyantaram: within/inside

• saḥ: he

• paryeti: goes around, traverses

• kramate: proceeds step-by-step, in sequence

• maṇḍalāni: the maṇḍalas/circuits

• tu: but/indeed (emphatic).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūrya (the Sun)
• Maṇḍala (cosmic circuit/zone)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Astronomy
• Sūrya-gati
• Puranic geography
• Time-reckoning

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya directly; it describes the ordered motion of the Sun through cosmic “maṇḍalas,” supporting the Purāṇic framework by which time and cycles are understood.

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

Indirectly, it underpins dharma through calendrical order: the Sun’s regulated course is the basis for seasons, rituals, and proper timing (kāla) for royal duties, agriculture, and household rites.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it supports timing for solar-based observances (e.g., seasonal rites). Architecturally, it can inform temple orientation and solar considerations, though no explicit Vāstu rule is stated in this verse.