Shloka 51

Matsya Purana — The Attendant Hosts of the Sun and Moon: Monthly Gaṇas

Devanagari script

संगृहीता रथे तस्मिञ् छ्वेतश्चक्षुःश्रवाश्च वै अश्वास्तमेकवर्णास्ते वहन्ते शङ्खवर्चसः //

Transliteration

saṃgṛhītā rathe tasmiñ chvetaścakṣuḥśravāśca vai aśvāstamekavarṇāste vahante śaṅkhavarcasaḥ //

Translation

Harnessed to that chariot are the horses Śveta and Cakṣuḥśravas; those steeds, all of one hue, draw it—radiant with the lustre of a conch-shell.

Word by Word

• saṃgṛhītā: harnessed/held fast

• rathe: on the chariot

• tasmin: in/onto that

• śvetaḥ: Śveta (proper name)/the White one

• cakṣuḥśravāḥ: Cakṣuḥśravas (proper name, ‘famed to the eye’)

• ca: and

• vai: indeed

• aśvāḥ: horses

• te: those

• ekavarṇāḥ: of one color/one uniform hue

• vahante: they carry/draw

• śaṅkha-varcasaḥ: having conch-like radiance, shining like a conch.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the divine conveyance within the Matsya Purana’s Matsya–Manu narrative frame

Entities Mentioned

• Śveta
• Cakṣuḥśravas
• Śaṅkha (conch)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Divine Chariot
• Iconography
• Matsya–Manu
• Puranic Imagery

FAQs

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

It does not describe cosmic dissolution directly; it adds vivid, auspicious imagery (a conch-radiant chariot drawn by uniform-colored horses) to the broader Pralaya-era Matsya–Manu narration.

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

Indirectly, it models royal/divine order and auspicious symbolism—suggesting that leadership aligned with dharma is accompanied by discipline, unity (ekavarṇa), and śrī-like radiance—though no explicit kingly duty is stated here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu rule is stated, but the phrase śaṅkha-varcasaḥ carries ritual-auspicious connotations (conch imagery linked with purity and sanctity), useful for interpreting iconographic and ceremonial descriptions in the text.