Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

भुजगेन्द्रेण वदने निविष्टेन विराजितम् अमृतारम्भनिर्मुक्तं मन्दराद्रिम् इवोच्छ्रितम् //

Transliteration

bhujagendreṇa vadane niviṣṭena virājitam amṛtārambhanirmuktaṃ mandarādrim ivocchritam //

Translation

Adorned by the great serpent set upon (or within) the mouth, it shines forth—lofty like Mount Mandara when freed at the very outset of the churning of nectar.

Word by Word

• bhujaga-indreṇa: by the lord of serpents (Śeṣa/Vāsuki)

• vadane: in/at the mouth, on the face

• niviṣṭena: placed, set, seated

• virājitam: resplendent, shining

• amṛta-ārambha: the beginning of the nectar-(churning) enterprise

• nirmuktam: released, freed, let loose

• mandara-adrim: Mount Mandara

• iva: like

• ucchritam: raised up, lofty, towering

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Bhujagendra (serpent-lord: Śeṣa/Vāsuki)
• Mount Mandara
• Amrita (nectar)

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Ornaments
• Samudra Manthana
• Temple Art

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead it uses the churning-of-the-ocean (amṛta) imagery as a poetic comparison to convey brilliance and exalted stature.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharma through correct worship: a king or householder is to commission, honor, and install images according to śāstra, where even ornament-details (like a serpent-lord motif) carry prescribed symbolic meaning.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse functions as pratima-lakṣaṇa: it specifies a visual feature (the serpent-lord placed at the face/mouth area) that guides sculptors and priests in creating and recognizing a properly formed icon for temple installation.