Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — The Observance of Ananta-Tritiya

Devanagari script

करौ सौभाग्यदायिन्यै बाहू हरमुखश्रियै मुखं दर्पणवासिन्यै स्मरदायै स्मितं नमः //

Transliteration

karau saubhāgyadāyinyai bāhū haramukhaśriyai mukhaṃ darpaṇavāsinyai smaradāyai smitaṃ namaḥ //

Translation

Salutations to her hands that bestow good fortune; to her arms that are the splendor of Hara’s (Śiva’s) face; to her face that dwells in the mirror; and to her smile that awakens Smara (love and desire).

Word by Word

करौ (karau)the two hands

सौभाग्य-दायिन्यै (saubhāgya-dāyinyai)to the bestower of auspicious fortune/marital felicity

बाहू (bāhū)the two arms

हर-मुख-श्रियै (hara-mukha-śriyai)to the glory/beauty of Hara’s face

मुखम् (mukham)the face

दर्पण-वासिन्यै (darpaṇa-vāsinyai)to her who resides in/appears in the mirror (mirror-like radiance)

स्मर-दायै (smara-dāyai)to her who gives/causes Smara (love, desire

स्मितम् (smitam)the smile

नमः (namaḥ)salutation

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying a Devī-stuti within the Matsya Purāṇa’s iconography-focused discourse

Entities Mentioned

Devī (Goddess)Hara (Śiva)Smara (Kāma)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a devotional and iconographic salutation that praises the Goddess through her auspicious limbs and their divine effects (fortune, radiance, love).

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

By praising the Goddess as the giver of saubhāgya (auspicious fortune), the verse supports the householder ideal of seeking prosperity and harmony through dharmic worship; for kings, such stuti aligns with state-protecting rituals that invoke auspiciousness and social wellbeing.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it functions as a limb-by-limb (aṅga) salutation used in Devī worship; in an iconography context, it reinforces how divine form and attributes are contemplated during consecration, darśana, and temple/altar worship.