Shloka 75

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

ततो मन्दतरं ताभ्यां चक्रं तु भ्रमते पुनः मृत्पिण्ड इव मध्यस्थो भ्रमते ऽसौ ध्रुवस्तथा //

Transliteration

tato mandataraṃ tābhyāṃ cakraṃ tu bhramate punaḥ mṛtpiṇḍa iva madhyastho bhramate 'sau dhruvastathā //

Translation

Then, slower than those two, the celestial wheel revolves again; and Dhruva, stationed at the center, also turns—like a lump of clay fixed in the middle of a spinning wheel.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• mandataraṃ: more slowly

• tābhyām: than those two (motions/entities mentioned earlier)

• cakram: wheel/circle (celestial sphere/orbital circle)

• tu: indeed

• bhramate: revolves/turns

• punaḥ: again/continuously

• mṛtpiṇḍa iva: like a lump of clay

• madhyasthaḥ: situated in the middle/at the center

• bhramate: turns (appears to rotate)

• asau: that (well-known)

• dhruvaḥ: Dhruva/Pole Star

• tathā: likewise/in that manner

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Dhruva
• cakra (celestial wheel)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Astronomy
• Dhruva
• Celestial motion
• Matsya Purana teachings

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya directly; it explains cosmic order—how the celestial wheel moves while Dhruva remains centrally placed, a stability motif often contrasted with dissolution elsewhere in the Purana.

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

By presenting Dhruva as the stable center amid motion, the verse implicitly models dharma: a king or householder should remain steady in principle while managing changing circumstances.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu rule is stated, but the center (madhya) as a stabilizing pivot echoes Vāstu ideas of the Brahmasthāna—keeping the central space conceptually ‘steady’ while activities circulate around it.