Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

उदयास्तगचक्रेण मेरुपर्वतगामिना त्रिदिवद्वारचक्रेण तपता लोकमव्ययम् //

Transliteration

udayāstagacakreṇa meruparvatagāminā tridivadvāracakreṇa tapatā lokamavyayam //

Translation

With the wheel of sunrise and sunset, moving along the mountain Meru, and with the wheel that passes through the gates of heaven, the Sun heats (illumines) the imperishable world.

Word by Word

• udayāstaga-cakreṇa: by the wheel/cycle of rising and setting

• meru-parvata-gāminā: moving along (the path associated with) Mount Meru

• tridiva-dvāra-cakreṇa: by the wheel/circuit through the heavenly gates

• tapatā: by the one who heats/shines (the Sun)

• lokam: the world

• avyayam: imperishable/undecaying (enduring as a cosmic order)

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic description (within the Matsya–Manu teaching framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Surya
• Meru
• Tridiva (Svarga)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Surya
• Meru
• Jyotisha
• Puranic Astronomy

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it emphasizes the stable, ongoing cosmic order—Sun’s cyclical motion and its sustaining heat—calling the world “avyaya” (enduring in its ordained function).

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

By presenting the Sun as the regulator of time and order (day/night, seasons), it implicitly grounds dharma in regularity—kings and householders align rituals, governance, and daily disciplines with the solar cycle.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it supports solar-time observances (sandhyā, daily rites) and orientation principles: sacred layouts and temple/altar timing often follow sunrise–sunset cycles governed by Surya’s course.