Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — The Array of the Gods: Description of the Vaiṣṇava Host and the Lokapālas

Devanagari script

सूर्यः सप्ताश्वयुक्तेन रथेनामितगामिना श्रिया जाज्वल्यमानेन दीप्यमानैश्च रश्मिभिः //

Transliteration

sūryaḥ saptāśvayuktena rathenāmitagāminā śriyā jājvalyamānena dīpyamānaiśca raśmibhiḥ //

Translation

The Sun, mounted on a chariot yoked with seven horses—moving with immeasurable speed—blazes with splendor, and shines forth with radiant rays.

Word by Word

• sūryaḥ: the Sun

• sapta-aśva-yuktena: yoked with seven horses

• rathena: with a chariot

• amita-gāminā: of immeasurable swiftness / moving beyond measure

• śriyā: with splendor, beauty, glory

• jājvalyamānena: blazing, flaming brightly

• dīpyamānaiḥ: shining, radiant

• ca: and

• raśmibhiḥ: with rays

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing Sūrya in a laudatory passage (stuti-style narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūrya

Tags

• Surya
• Stuti
• Cosmology
• Iconography
• SolarChariot

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe Pralaya; it highlights Sūrya’s cosmic function through imagery of speed, brilliance, and rays—features that support the ordered movement of time and the world.

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

By praising Sūrya as radiant and world-sustaining, the verse supports the Purāṇic ethic of daily reverence to the Sun (sandhyā, discipline, regularity), virtues expected of householders and rulers who must uphold order (dharma) like the Sun’s steady course.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The seven-horsed solar chariot is a standard iconographic motif for Sūrya images; ritually, such verses function as Sūrya-stuti for recitation, and architecturally they align with temple/altar orientation and emphasis on light (east-facing sanctums) in Vastu-informed practice.