Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

ऋतुभिश्च कृतः षड्भिर् धनुः संवत्सरो ऽभवत् अजरा ज्याभवच्चापि साम्बिका धनुषो दृढा //

Transliteration

ṛtubhiśca kṛtaḥ ṣaḍbhir dhanuḥ saṃvatsaro 'bhavat ajarā jyābhavaccāpi sāmbikā dhanuṣo dṛḍhā //

Translation

Wrought of the six seasons, the bow is the year (saṃvatsara) itself; and the bowstring is the unaging Ambikā—Sāmbikā—firmly fastened upon the bow.

Word by Word

• ṛtubhiḥ: by the seasons

• ca: and

• kṛtaḥ: made/constituted

• ṣaḍbhiḥ: by six

• dhanuḥ: the bow

• saṃvatsaraḥ: the year

• abhavat: became/is

• ajarā: unaging/undecaying

• jyā: bowstring

• bhavat: becomes/is

• ca api: and indeed

• sāmbikā: Sāmbikā (a name/epithet of the Goddess Ambikā)

• dhanuṣaḥ: of the bow

• dṛḍhā: firm/steady/taut

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu), instructing Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Ambikā
• Sāmbikā
• Ṛtu (six seasons)
• Saṃvatsara (the year)

Tags

• Iconography
• Symbolism
• Vastu Shastra
• Pratima Lakshana
• Ritual Cosmology

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe Pralaya; instead it presents cosmological symbolism—time (the year) is encoded in divine emblems, linking ritual iconography to the ordered cycles of seasons.

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

It supports dharmic practice by teaching that worship and temple images should be understood through cosmic correspondences; a king or householder sustains order by honoring time-cycles (seasons/year) through correct ritual and iconographic knowledge.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In pratima-lakṣaṇa and temple worship, the deity’s bow is interpreted as the year made of six seasons, while the bowstring is the steadfast, unaging Goddess (Ambikā/Sāmbikā)—guiding how attributes are conceived, explained, and ritually contemplated.