Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — The Nakṣatra-Puruṣa Vrata: Worship of Viṣṇu’s Cosmic Body through the Lunar M...

Devanagari script

कुक्षिद्वयं नारद रेवतीषु दामोदरायेत्यभिपूजनीयम् ऋक्षे ऽनुराधासु च माधवाय नमस्तथोरःस्थलमेव पूज्यम् //

Transliteration

kukṣidvayaṃ nārada revatīṣu dāmodarāyetyabhipūjanīyam ṛkṣe 'nurādhāsu ca mādhavāya namastathoraḥsthalameva pūjyam //

Translation

O Nārada, under Revatī one should specially worship the two sides of the belly, reverently invoking (Viṣṇu) as “Dāmodara.” Likewise, under Anurādhā one should bow to “Mādhava,” and worship specifically the region of the chest.

Word by Word

• kukṣidvayam: the two flanks/sides of the belly

• nārada: O Narada

• revatīṣu: in (the nakshatra) Revati

• dāmodarāya iti: as ‘Damodara’

• abhipūjanīyam: should be worshipped with special reverence

• ṛkṣe: in the asterism/nakshatra

• anurādhāsu: in (the nakshatra) Anuradha

• ca: and

• mādhavāya: to Madhava

• namaḥ: salutations/bowing

• tathā: likewise

• uraḥsthalam: the chest-region

• eva: alone/particularly

• pūjyam: to be worshipped

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Narada (ritual guidance context)

Entities Mentioned

• Narada
• Damodara
• Madhava
• Revati (Nakshatra)
• Anuradha (Nakshatra)

Tags

• Vishnu Sahasranama usage
• Nakshatra worship
• Ritual procedure
• Iconography (anga-puja)
• Matsya Purana vrata

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it teaches a ritual mapping of specific nakshatras to Vishnu’s names and the worship of particular body-regions (anga-puja).

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

It supports the householder’s (and ruler’s) dharma through regulated devotional observance—performing time-specific worship (nakshatra-based) with correct mantras and reverence, a standard Purāṇic model for sustaining merit and order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it prescribes anga-puja: worshipping the deity’s bodily loci (belly-sides, chest) while invoking Damodara and Madhava on Revati and Anuradha respectively—useful for temple/household icon worship sequences and vrata manuals.