Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

तमृक्षपूगानुगतं शिशिरांशुं द्विजेश्वरम् शशच्छायाङ्किततनुं नैशस्य तमसः क्षयम् //

Transliteration

tamṛkṣapūgānugataṃ śiśirāṃśuṃ dvijeśvaram śaśacchāyāṅkitatanuṃ naiśasya tamasaḥ kṣayam //

Translation

He is the cool-rayed lord of the twice-born, moving along with the multitude of constellations; his body is marked by the hare-like emblem, and he is the waning of the night’s darkness.

Word by Word

• tam: him (that one)

• ṛkṣa-pūga-anugatam: accompanied by the host of stars/constellations

• śiśira-aṃśum: cool-rayed (the Moon)

• dvija-īśvaram: lord of the twice-born (Brahmins

• śaśa-chāyā-aṅkita-tanum: whose form is marked with the hare’s shadow/emblem (the ‘hare in the moon’)

• naiśasya: of the night

• tamasaḥ: of darkness

• kṣayam: diminution, destruction, fading away

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the Moon in the Matsya Purana’s cosmological account

Entities Mentioned

• Chandra (Moon)
• Nakshatras (constellations)
• Dvijas (twice-born)

Tags

• Cosmology
• Moon
• Nakshatras
• Iconography
• Night

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it frames cosmic order: the Moon’s regular movement with the constellations and his role in diminishing night-darkness reflects the maintained rhythm of time (kāla) that precedes and survives cycles of dissolution.

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

By pointing to the Moon as regulator of night and companion of the nakṣatras, it supports dharmic timekeeping—choosing proper lunar days and constellations for vows, charity, royal rites, travel, and household saṃskāras.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the verse legitimizes lunar symbolism (śaśāṅka) in worship and calendrical planning; in temple art and iconography, it supports depicting Chandra with the ‘hare-mark’ and associating lunar timing with ceremonies.