Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Soma

Devanagari script

तस्मात्पञ्चदशे सोमे कला वै नास्ति षोडशी तस्मात्सोमस्य विप्रोक्तः पञ्चदश्यां मया क्षयः //

Transliteration

tasmātpañcadaśe some kalā vai nāsti ṣoḍaśī tasmātsomasya viproktaḥ pañcadaśyāṃ mayā kṣayaḥ //

Translation

Therefore, on the fifteenth tithi for Soma (the Moon), the sixteenth kalā is indeed not present. Hence, O Brahmin, I have explained that the Moon’s waning (kṣaya) occurs on the fifteenth tithi.

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore

• pañcadaśe: on the fifteenth (tithi/day)

• some: in/for Soma, the Moon

• kalā: digit/portion (lunar phase)

• vai: indeed

• nāsti: is not

• ṣoḍaśī: the sixteenth (kalā)

• tasmāt: therefore

• somasya: of the Moon

• vipra: O Brahmin

• uktaḥ/roktaḥ (intended sense): is said/explained

• pañcadaśyām: on the fifteenth (tithi)

• mayā: by me

• kṣayaḥ: decrease/waning/decline

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in dialogue instruction to Manu; addressing a Brahmin interlocutor as 'vipra' in this verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Soma (Moon)

Tags

• Tithi
• Soma
• Kalā
• Ritual timing
• Hindu astronomy

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic Pralaya; it explains a smaller-scale doctrine of “kṣaya” (waning/decline) of Soma’s kalās within the lunar month, used for ritual timekeeping rather than world-dissolution.

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

By clarifying when the Moon’s kalā is considered diminished on the fifteenth tithi, it supports correct observance of vratas, dāna, and śrāddha scheduling—key household and royal duties in Purāṇic dharma that depend on accurate tithi-based timing.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual (not architectural): it provides a calendrical rule about Soma’s kalās and the fifteenth tithi, useful for determining proper timing for fasts, worship, and other rites aligned with lunar phases.