Shloka 25

Matsya Purana — Vishnu’s Names Across Yugas and the Gods’ Refuge During the Tārakāmaya War

Devanagari script

शक्तिचित्रबलोदग्रं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम् विष्णुशैलं क्षमामूलं श्रीवृक्षं शार्ङ्गशृङ्गिणम् //

Transliteration

śakticitrabalodagraṃ śaṅkhacakragadādharam viṣṇuśailaṃ kṣamāmūlaṃ śrīvṛkṣaṃ śārṅgaśṛṅgiṇam //

Translation

Depict him as resplendent with wondrous power and towering strength; bearing the conch, discus, and mace; firm as Viṣṇu’s mountain; rooted in forbearance; a tree of prosperity (Śrī); and marked by the horn-bow Śārṅga.

Word by Word

• śakti-citra: wondrous power / potency

• bala-udagram: exceedingly strong, towering in strength

• śaṅkha: conch

• cakra: discus

• gadā: mace

• dharam: bearing/holding

• viṣṇu-śailam: like Viṣṇu’s mountain (firm, unshakable as a sacred peak)

• kṣamā-mūlam: having patience/forbearance as its root

• śrī-vṛkṣam: a tree of Śrī—prosperity, auspiciousness, fortune

• śārṅga-śṛṅgiṇam: possessing the ‘horn’/mark of Śārṅga (Viṣṇu’s bow), i.e., characterized by Śārṅga

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu on iconographic description)

Entities Mentioned

• Vishnu
• Shankha
• Chakra
• Gada
• Sharnga
• Shri

Tags

• Iconography
• Pratima Lakshana
• Vastu Shastra
• Vishnu
• Temple Art

FAQs

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

Directly, it does not narrate pralaya; instead, it preserves dharma through sacred form—teaching how Viṣṇu should be represented so worship and cosmic order remain stable even across ages of upheaval.

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

It frames ideal sovereignty and household virtue through Viṣṇu’s symbols: strength guided by śakti, protection through the discus, order through the mace, and kṣamā (forbearance) as the ‘root’—a model for disciplined power and ethical restraint.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It functions as pratima-lakṣaṇa: a checklist for sculptors and temple planners—Viṣṇu must be shown with conch, discus, and mace, with an overall ‘mountain-like’ steadiness and auspicious Śrī symbolism, aligning the image with correct ritual efficacy.