Shloka 30

Matsya Purana — The Cave-Sanctuary: Jewel-Lake

Devanagari script

लक्षयुत्सङ्गगतो ऽङ्घ्रिस्तु शेषभोगप्रशायिनः फणीन्द्रभोगसंन्यस्तबाहुः केयूरभूषणः //

Transliteration

lakṣayutsaṅgagato 'ṅghristu śeṣabhogapraśāyinaḥ phaṇīndrabhogasaṃnyastabāhuḥ keyūrabhūṣaṇaḥ //

Translation

In the icon of the Lord reclining upon Śeṣa, one foot is shown resting upon the thigh, while the arms are placed upon the coils of the serpent‑king; the form is adorned with armlets (keyūra).

Word by Word

• lakṣa: characteristic mark/feature

• yut(a): endowed with/combined

• saṅga: thigh/hip region (as the resting support)

• gataḥ: placed/resting

• aṅghriḥ: foot

• tu: indeed

• śeṣa: Śeṣa (Ananta, the cosmic serpent)

• bhoga: coil/hood (serpent’s coil)

• praśāyinaḥ: of the one who lies/reclines (reclining posture)

• phaṇīndra: king of serpents (Śeṣa)

• bhoga: coil

• saṃnyasta: placed/laid down

• bāhuḥ: arms

• keyūra: armlet

• bhūṣaṇaḥ: ornament/adornment

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching iconographic rules to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Śeṣa (Ananta)
• Phaṇīndra (serpent-king)
• Vishnu (Ananta-śayana icon)

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Vastu Shastra
• Temple Sculpture
• Ananta-śayana

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it evokes Vishnu’s cosmic repose on Śeṣa—an iconographic symbol often associated with the Lord’s transcendence and the cyclical pause between world-periods, though this verse itself focuses on sculptural posture rather than narrating Pralaya.

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

In the Matsya Purana’s broader ethic, rulers and householders gain merit by supporting correct worship—commissioning and maintaining properly made icons; this verse supplies a concrete standard for the Vishnu image used in temples and household shrines.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It is a pratima-lakṣaṇa rule: the reclining Vishnu (Śeṣa-śayana) should be sculpted with a foot resting on the thigh, arms laid on the serpent coils, and adorned with keyūra armlets—details crucial for temple image-making and consecration validity.