Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — The Gods Seek Śiva’s Refuge: The Cosmic Chariot Prepared for the Burning of T...

Devanagari script

शनैश्चरस्तथा चात्र सर्वे ते देवसत्तमाः वरूथं गगनं चक्रुश् चारुरूपं रथस्य ते //

Transliteration

śanaiścarastathā cātra sarve te devasattamāḥ varūthaṃ gaganaṃ cakruś cārurūpaṃ rathasya te //

Translation

Here, Śanaiścara (Saturn) as well—along with all those best of the gods—fashioned the chariot’s canopy as the very sky, giving the chariot a splendid and beautiful form.

Word by Word

• शनैश्चरः (śanaiścaraḥ): Śanaiścara/Saturn

• तथा (tathā): likewise/also

• च (ca): and

• अत्र (atra): here/in this context

• सर्वे (sarve): all

• ते (te): they/those

• देवसत्तमाः (devasattamāḥ): the foremost among the gods

• वरूथम् (varūtham): chariot-cover/canopy/defensive covering

• गगनम् (gaganam): the sky/firmament

• चक्रुः (cakruḥ): made/fashioned

• चारुरूपम् (cārurūpam): of beautiful form/splendid in appearance

• रथस्य (rathasya): of the chariot

• ते (te): for it/for that (chariot).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account; the verse is descriptive rather than direct speech)

Entities Mentioned

• Śanaiścara (Saturn)
• Devas (gods)
• Ratha (celestial chariot)
• Gagana (sky/firmament)

Tags

• Grahas
• Celestial chariot
• Iconography
• Cosmic symbolism
• Purāṇic cosmology

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya directly; it uses cosmic imagery—making the canopy “the sky”—to express divine craftsmanship and the universe-as-ornament motif common in Purāṇic cosmology.

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

Indirectly, it models the ideal of ordered construction and auspicious design: just as gods fashion a harmonious vehicle using cosmic correspondences, a king or householder is encouraged in the Matsya Purāṇa to build and arrange things with propriety, beauty, and sacred alignment.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key term is varūtha (protective canopy/covering). Symbolically equating the canopy with the sky highlights a Vāstu-like principle of aligning built form with cosmic layers (space/firmament), a common ritual-aesthetic idea in temple and pavilion conception.