Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

नक्षत्रपुरुषं नाम व्रतं नारायणात्मकम् पादादि कुर्याद्विधिवद् विष्णुनामानुकीर्तनम् //

Transliteration

nakṣatrapuruṣaṃ nāma vrataṃ nārāyaṇātmakam pādādi kuryādvidhivad viṣṇunāmānukīrtanam //

Translation

One should undertake the vow called “Nakṣatra-Puruṣa,” which is of the very nature of Nārāyaṇa; and, beginning with the feet and proceeding in due order, one should perform it according to rule, accompanied by repeated chanting of the names of Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• nakṣatra-puruṣam: “Nakshatra-Purusha” (the cosmic person associated with the lunar mansions)

• nāma: named/called

• vratam: vow, religious observance

• nārāyaṇa-ātmakam: having Nārāyaṇa as its essence/nature

• pāda-ādi: starting with the feet and onward (in sequence)

• kuryāt: one should do/perform

• vidhivat: according to prescribed rule/rite

• viṣṇu-nāma-anukīrtanam: repeated chanting/recitation of the names of Viṣṇu

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (as Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution within Matsya Purana’s vrata-teachings)

Entities Mentioned

• Narayana
• Vishnu
• Nakshatra-Purusha

Tags

• Vrata
• Bhakti
• Vishnu Sahasranama-style chanting
• Ritual Procedure
• Puranic Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing pralaya directly; it emphasizes devotional order and ritual discipline—centering the practitioner on Nārāyaṇa through a structured vow and continuous Viṣṇu-name recitation.

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

It presents a practical dharma for householders (and rulers as exemplary householders): undertaking regulated vratas and sustaining bhakti through Viṣṇu-nāma kīrtana, reinforcing self-governance, purity, and public religious standards.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it stresses vidhivat performance and a sequence “from the feet onward,” suggesting a prescribed order of worship/nyāsa or limb-wise veneration—useful for understanding procedural rules that also underpin temple-ritual standardization in Puranic practice.