Shloka 6

Matsya Purana — The Observance of Viśoka-Dvādaśī: A Lakṣmī–Viṣṇu Vow for Sorrow-Removal and P...

Devanagari script

विशोकाय नमः पादौ जङ्घे च वरदाय वै श्रीशाय जानुनी तद्वद् ऊरू च जलशायिने //

Transliteration

viśokāya namaḥ pādau jaṅghe ca varadāya vai śrīśāya jānunī tadvad ūrū ca jalaśāyine //

Translation

Salutation to Viṣṇu as ‘Viśoka’ for the feet; to ‘Varada’ for the shanks; to ‘Śrīśa’ for the knees; and likewise to ‘Jalaśāyin’ for the thighs.

Word by Word

• viśokāya: to the Sorrowless One (Viṣṇu)

• namaḥ: salutations

• pādau: the two feet

• jaṅghe: the two lower legs/shanks

• ca: and

• varadāya: to the Boon-giver

• vai: indeed

• śrīśāya: to the Lord of Śrī (Lakṣmī)

• jānunī: the two knees

• tadvad: likewise/in the same manner

• ūrū: the two thighs

• ca: and

• jalaśāyine: to the One who reclines upon the waters (cosmic ocean)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching on Viṣṇu-nyāsa/iconography, traditionally within the Manu–Matsya dialogue framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Shri (Lakshmi)
• Jalashayin

Tags

• Iconography
• Nyasa
• Vishnu
• Mantra
• Ritual

FAQs

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

By invoking Viṣṇu as Jalaśāyin—“the One who reclines on the cosmic waters”—the verse alludes to the post-dissolution oceanic state in which Viṣṇu is contemplated as the sustaining ground between cycles.

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

It supports daily dharma through disciplined worship: a householder (and by extension a king) is guided to perform orderly mantra-salutations (nyāsa) that cultivate steadiness, purity, and devotion—virtues central to righteous governance and household life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it is a limb-nyāsa mapping specific divine epithets onto body-parts, used in temple pūjā and icon-contemplation; such mappings inform pratima-lakṣaṇa practice by linking the deity’s form to mantra-based visualization.