Shloka 28

Matsya Purana — The Cave-Sanctuary: Jewel-Lake

Devanagari script

प्रासादे तत्र भगवान् देवदेवो जनार्दनः भोगिभोगावलीसुप्तः सर्वालंकारभूषितः //

Transliteration

prāsāde tatra bhagavān devadevo janārdanaḥ bhogibhogāvalīsuptaḥ sarvālaṃkārabhūṣitaḥ //

Translation

There, within the temple‑palace, the Blessed Lord Janārdana—the God of gods—reposes upon the coiled serpent‑couch, adorned with every kind of ornament.

Word by Word

• प्रासादे: in the temple/palatial shrine

• तत्र: there

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord

• देवदेवः: God of gods

• जनार्दनः: Janārdana (Viṣṇu)

• भोगि: serpent (Nāga/Śeṣa)

• भोगावली: a series of coils/hoods (coiled arrangement)

• सुप्तः: lying asleep/reposing

• सर्व: all

• अलंकार: ornaments/adornments

• भूषितः: decorated, adorned

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (as narrator/instructor to Vaivasvata Manu, within the Vastu-vidyā discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Janardana
• Vishnu
• Devadeva
• Ananta/Shesha (implied by serpent-couch)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Iconography
• Temple Architecture
• Vishnu
• Pratima Lakshana

FAQs

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

By portraying Janārdana reclining on the serpent-couch (Anantaśayana), the verse evokes the cosmic, timeless posture associated with the interval between cycles—an iconographic reminder of the Lord’s sovereignty over dissolution and renewal, even if Pralaya is not explicitly narrated here.

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

It supports dharmic patronage: kings and householders are encouraged to establish and maintain properly adorned temples and images, since correct installation and worship of the Lord in the prāsāda is treated as a meritorious, order-sustaining duty in Purāṇic ethics.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It indicates the sanctum’s principal icon: Viṣṇu as Devadeva reclining on the serpent-couch, fully ornamented—guiding temple designers and priests on the deity’s prescribed form (pratimā-lakṣaṇa) and the visual theology to be embodied in the shrine.