Shloka 3

Matsya Purana — The Pushkara Manifestation

Devanagari script

अथान्यद्रूपमास्थाय शंभुर्नारायणो ऽव्ययः आजगाम महातेजा योगाचार्यो महायशाः //

Transliteration

athānyadrūpamāsthāya śaṃbhurnārāyaṇo 'vyayaḥ ājagāma mahātejā yogācāryo mahāyaśāḥ //

Translation

Then, assuming another form, the imperishable Nārāyaṇa—Śambhu himself—arrived: of great radiance, the preceptor of yoga, and of great renown.

Word by Word

• atha: then

• anya-drūpam: another form

• āsthāya: having assumed/taken on

• śaṃbhuḥ: Śambhu (auspicious one

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord)

• avyayaḥ: imperishable, undecaying

• ājagāma: came/arrived

• mahā-tejāḥ: of great splendor/energy

• yoga-ācāryaḥ: teacher/preceptor of yoga

• mahā-yaśāḥ: of great fame/glory

Speaker

• Suta (Purāṇic narrator) / narrative voice (contextual description rather than direct dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Narayana
• Shambhu

Tags

• Iconography
• Theophany
• Yoga
• Ritual Context
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it emphasizes divine manifestation—Nārāyaṇa taking “another form”—a theme often used to introduce a new teaching, rite, or iconographic instruction.

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

Indirectly, it frames the Lord as “yogācārya” (teacher of disciplined practice), supporting the Matsya Purana’s broader ethic that rulers and householders should uphold self-control, right worship, and dharmic order under divine guidance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

By announcing a divine arrival “in another form,” the verse fits an iconography/ritual setting: it cues attention to form (rūpa)—a key prerequisite for pratima-lakṣaṇa (deity-form rules) and temple-ritual prescriptions in the Matsya Purana.