Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

आननं ह्यग्निरभवच् छल्यं सोमस्तमोनुदः तेजसः समवायो ऽथ चेषोस्तेजो रथाङ्गधृक् //

Transliteration

ānanaṃ hyagnirabhavac chalyaṃ somastamonudaḥ tejasaḥ samavāyo 'tha ceṣostejo rathāṅgadhṛk //

Translation

His face (ānana) arose from Fire (Agni); his stratagem (śalya) from Soma, dispeller of darkness. From radiance (tejas) came harmonious union; and from the brilliance of movement (ceṣṭā) arose the bearer of the discus (rathāṅga-dhṛk).

Word by Word

• ānanaṃ: face/mouth

• hi: indeed

• agniḥ: Fire (deity/principle)

• abhavat: became/arose

• chalyam: guile/strategic artifice (chala)

• somaḥ: Soma/Moon

• tamaḥ-nudaḥ: dispeller of darkness

• tejasaḥ: from tejas (radiance, splendor)

• samavāyaḥ: conjunction/union, harmonious combination

• atha: then/and

• ceṣaḥ/ceṣṭā: movement, activity, dynamic impulse

• tejaḥ: brilliance/splendor

• rathāṅga-dhṛk: the bearer of the discus (Vishnu).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu), instructing Vaivasvata Manu in the theological-iconographic correspondences

Entities Mentioned

• Agni
• Soma
• Vishnu (Rathangadhara/Chakradhari)
• Tejas

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Cosmic correspondences
• Vishnu attributes
• Theology

FAQs

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

It does not narrate Pralaya directly; it presents a cosmological principle where divine form is explained as arising from elemental and luminous powers (Agni, Soma, tejas), implying creation as an ordered manifestation of cosmic forces.

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

Indirectly, it frames righteous governance and household order as mirroring cosmic order: clarity (Agni), measured cool discernment (Soma), and disciplined energetic action (ceṣṭā/tejas) should harmonize—just as divine attributes are said to arise from these principles.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In pratima-pratiṣṭhā (icon installation) contexts, such correspondences guide how an icon is contemplated and consecrated: the face is invoked with Agni’s purity, Soma’s calming power is associated with subtle qualities, and the discus-bearer identity (rathāṅgadhṛk) anchors Vishnu’s iconographic recognition in temple worship.