Shloka 7

Matsya Purana — The Ravi-Śayana

Devanagari script

हस्ते च सूर्याय नमो ऽस्तु पादाव् अर्काय चित्रासु च गुल्फदेशम् स्वातीषु जङ्घे पुरुषोत्तमाय धात्रे विशाखासु च जानुदेशम् //

Transliteration

haste ca sūryāya namo 'stu pādāv arkāya citrāsu ca gulphadeśam svātīṣu jaṅghe puruṣottamāya dhātre viśākhāsu ca jānudeśam //

Translation

Salutation be to Sūrya in the hands, and to Arka in the feet. In Citrā is the region of the ankles; in Svātī are the shanks; to Puruṣottama (the Supreme Person) belong the calves; and in Viśākhā is the region of the knees—thus the deity’s body is contemplated through the lunar mansions.

Word by Word

• haste: in the hands

• ca: and

• sūryāya: to Sūrya (Sun-deity)

• namaḥ astu: may there be salutation

• pādau/pādāv: in the two feet

• arkāya: to Arka (a solar epithet)

• citrāsu: in (the nakṣatra) Citrā

• gulpha-deśam: the ankle-region

• svātīṣu: in (the nakṣatra) Svātī

• jaṅghe: the shanks/legs below the knee

• puruṣottamāya: to Puruṣottama (Viṣṇu, Supreme Person)

• dhātre: to Dhātṛ (a Vedic solar aspect/creator-sustainer deity)

• viśākhāsu: in (the nakṣatra) Viśākhā

• jānu-deśam: the knee-region

Speaker

• Suta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s teaching on deity-contemplation/nyasa; framed as instruction associated with Lord Matsya’s discourse to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Surya
• Arka
• Purushottama
• Dhatr
• Chitra (Nakshatra)
• Swati (Nakshatra)
• Vishakha (Nakshatra)

Tags

• Iconography
• Nyasa
• Nakshatra
• Surya
• Vishnu

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it teaches a ritual-contemplative mapping of divine names and nakṣatras onto body parts, emphasizing cosmic order (ṛta) rather than dissolution.

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

It supports dharma through daily worship: a king or householder is instructed to maintain auspiciousness and right order by performing disciplined devotion (nyāsa/anga-vandana), integrating time (nakṣatras) with reverence to the deity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it reflects anga-nyāsa/meditative installation used in temple and domestic worship; such mappings often accompany consecration and regular pūjā, aligning the worshipper’s visualization with a cosmic-temporal framework (nakṣatra system).