Shloka 72
Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions
मुहूर्तैस्तानि ऋक्षाणि नक्तमष्टादशैश्चरन् कुलालचक्रमध्यस्थो यथा मन्दं प्रसर्पति //
muhūrtaistāni ṛkṣāṇi naktamaṣṭādaśaiścaran kulālacakramadhyastho yathā mandaṃ prasarpati //
Those lunar mansions (nakṣatras) move on, measured by muhūrtas—traversing their course in eighteen units of the night—slowly creeping forward, like one seated at the center of a potter’s wheel.
FAQs
This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it explains measured celestial motion (nakṣatra movement) using muhūrtas, supporting the Purāṇic framework of cosmic order (ṛta) rather than dissolution.
By grounding ritual and administrative timing in muhūrta and nakṣatra reckoning, it supports choosing auspicious times for sacrifices, consecrations, journeys, and governance—practical dharma through disciplined timekeeping.
The muhūrta–nakṣatra linkage is key for selecting proper timing (muhūrta-niścaya) for temple rites, image installation, and other saṃskāras; the potter’s-wheel analogy emphasizes apparent vs. actual motion used in traditional calendrical calculations.