Shloka 42

Matsya Purana — The Greatness and Procedure of the Aṅgāra

Devanagari script

रूपसौभाग्यसम्पन्नः पुनर्जन्मनि जन्मनि विष्णौ वाथ शिवे भक्तः सप्तद्वीपाधिपो भवेत् //

Transliteration

rūpasaubhāgyasampannaḥ punarjanmani janmani viṣṇau vātha śive bhaktaḥ saptadvīpādhipo bhavet //

Translation

Endowed with beauty and auspicious fortune, from birth to birth one becomes a devotee of either Viṣṇu or Śiva, and may even become the sovereign lord of the seven continents (saptadvīpas).

Word by Word

• rūpa: beauty/form

• saubhāgya: good fortune/auspicious prosperity

• sampannaḥ: endowed with/possessed of

• punaḥ-janmani janmani: again and again in successive births

• viṣṇau: in/unto Viṣṇu

• vā atha: or else/alternatively

• śive: in/unto Śiva

• bhaktaḥ: devotee

• sapta: seven

• dvīpa: continent/island (cosmic divisions of the earth)

• adhipaḥ: overlord/sovereign

• bhavet: becomes/may become

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu in the Matsya Purana’s dialogue frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Saptadvipa

Tags

• Bhakti
• Phala-shruti
• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Kingship

FAQs

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

It does not directly describe pralaya; it emphasizes karmic and devotional results across repeated rebirths, implying continuity of saṃsāra rather than a flood/dissolution narrative.

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

It frames devotion (bhakti) as a source of auspiciousness, prosperity, and even sovereignty; for householders and kings, it supports the Purāṇic ethic that righteous devotion undergirds personal fortune and legitimate rule.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu/temple-building rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is the promised fruit of steadfast devotion to Viṣṇu or Śiva, often presented as a phala-śruti to motivate worship and observance.