Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — The Madana-Dvādaśī Vow and the Birth of the Maruts

Devanagari script

स्वच्छोदरायेत्युदरम् अनङ्गायेत्युरो हरेः मुखं पद्ममुखायेति बाहू पञ्चशराय वै //

Transliteration

svacchodarāyetyudaram anaṅgāyetyuro hareḥ mukhaṃ padmamukhāyeti bāhū pañcaśarāya vai //

Translation

One should designate Hari’s belly with the epithet “Svaccodara” (the One of pure abdomen), His chest with “Anaṅga” (the bodiless Lord), His face with “Padmamukha” (lotus-faced), and His arms with “Pañcaśara” (He who bears the five arrows).

Word by Word

• svaccha-udarāya: to the one with a clear/pure belly

• iti: thus

• udaram: the belly/abdomen

• anaṅgāya: to Anaṅga (the bodiless one)

• iti: thus

• uraḥ: the chest

• hareḥ: of Hari (Vishnu)

• mukham: the face

• padma-mukhāya: to the lotus-faced one

• iti: thus

• bāhū: the two arms

• pañca-śarāya: to the five-arrowed one (a Kāma-like epithet)

• vai: indeed/assuredly

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s iconographic/mantric prescriptions, in the broader Matsya–Manu discourse framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Hari (Vishnu)

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Mantra Nyasa
• Vastu Shastra
• Ritual

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it gives iconographic/mantric epithets for Hari’s body-parts, used in worship and consecration contexts rather than cosmological dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharmic duty by prescribing correct worship—householders (and kings funding temples) maintain social-religious order through proper ritual identification of the deity’s limbs and attributes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It functions like limb-identification for ritual nyāsa and iconography (pratimā-lakṣaṇa): during installation or worship, specific epithets are assigned to the deity’s belly, chest, face, and arms to ensure correct consecration practice.