Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

सहस्ररश्मियुक्तेन भ्राजमानेन तेजसा चचार मध्ये लोकानां द्वादशात्मा दिनेश्वरः //

Transliteration

sahasraraśmiyuktena bhrājamānena tejasā cacāra madhye lokānāṃ dvādaśātmā dineśvaraḥ //

Translation

Endowed with a thousand rays and blazing with radiant splendor, the Lord of the Day—the Sun, whose nature is twelvefold—moved along through the midst of the worlds.

Word by Word

• सहस्र-रश्मि-युक्तेन: endowed with a thousand rays

• भ्राजमानेन: shining, blazing

• तेजसा: with radiance/splendor

• चचार: moved, coursed, traversed

• मध्ये: in the midst, through the middle

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds

• द्वादश-आत्मा: having a twelvefold nature (twelve aspects/forms)

• दिन-ईश्वरः: the lord of the day, the Sun

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the cosmic function of Āditya (the Sun)

Entities Mentioned

• Dineśvara (Sun/Āditya)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Aditya
• Time
• Solar theology
• Puranic astronomy

FAQs

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

It emphasizes cosmic order rather than dissolution: the Sun’s radiant movement sustains the worlds and regulates time, a key stabilizing principle that stands in contrast to pralaya’s disorder.

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

By portraying the Sun as the regulator of time, it implicitly supports dharma based on daily and seasonal rhythms—timely performance of rites, governance, agriculture, and disciplined routine aligned with solar time.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it points to solar orientation and time-based observances (sandhyā, daily offerings). Architecturally, it supports vastu/temple planning that respects sunlight direction and calendrical timing for consecrations.