Shloka 42

Matsya Purana — Soma

Devanagari script

अमा वसेतामृक्षे तु यदा चन्द्रदिवाकरौ एका पञ्चदशी रात्रिर् अमावास्या ततः स्मृता //

Transliteration

amā vasetāmṛkṣe tu yadā candradivākarau ekā pañcadaśī rātrir amāvāsyā tataḥ smṛtā //

Translation

When the Moon and the Sun are together in the same lunar mansion (nakṣatra), that single fifteenth night is remembered as Amāvāsyā, the new-moon night.

Word by Word

• amā: (as) ‘together’/the new-moon conjunction

• vasetām: may dwell/abide

• ṛkṣe: in a nakṣatra (lunar mansion)

• tu: indeed

• yadā: when

• candra: the Moon

• divākara: the Sun (maker of day)

• ekā: one/single

• pañcadaśī: the fifteenth (tithi/night)

• rātriḥ: night

• amāvāsyā: new-moon night

• tataḥ: therefore/from that

• smṛtā: is remembered/defined

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Chandra (Moon)
• Divakara (Sun)
• Nakshatra
• Amavasya

Tags

• Kala-Nirnaya
• Tithi
• Amavasya
• Nakshatra
• Ritual Timing

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it defines Amāvāsyā in calendrical terms—useful for fixing sacred time rather than describing cosmic dissolution.

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

By precisely defining Amāvāsyā, the text supports correct scheduling of household rites (e.g., pitṛ-kārya/śrāddha, vrata, dāna) and royal/public ritual observances that depend on accurate tithi reckoning.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual significance is timing: Amāvāsyā is identified as the fifteenth night when Sun and Moon conjoin in the same nakṣatra—critical for choosing auspicious/required dates for offerings, fasts, and ancestral rites.