Shloka 129

Matsya Purana — Yadu Lineage

Devanagari script

उष्णीषिणे सुवक्त्राय बहुरूपाय वेधसे वसुरेताय रुद्राय तपसे चित्रवाससे //

Transliteration

uṣṇīṣiṇe suvaktrāya bahurūpāya vedhase vasuretāya rudrāya tapase citravāsase //

Translation

Salutations to Rudra—wearer of the uṣṇīṣa, the turban-crown, of auspicious countenance; of manifold forms, Vedhas, the all-ordaining Creator; whose seed is radiant like gold; who is austerity (tapas) itself; and who is clad in wondrous, variegated garments.

Word by Word

uṣṇīṣiṇeto the turbaned/crowned One

su-vaktrāyato the One with a fair/auspicious face

bahu-rūpāyato the many-formed One

vedhaseto the Ordainer/Creator (the Disposer)

vasu-retāyato the One whose retas (seed/energy) is vasu—bright, excellent, golden

rudrāyato Rudra

tapaseto austerity / to the One who is tapas

citra-vāsaseto the One wearing wondrous/variegated garments

Speaker

Suta (narratorial voice) presenting a Rudra-stuti within the Matsya Purana’s discourse

Entities Mentioned

Rudra (Shiva)

FAQs

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

It presents Rudra as vedhas (the cosmic ordainer) and as bahurūpa (many-formed), implying a deity whose power spans manifestation and withdrawal—supporting the Purāṇic view that the same supreme force governs both creation and dissolution.

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

By praising tapas (austerity/discipline) as Rudra’s very nature, the verse indirectly upholds self-restraint and disciplined conduct—virtues repeatedly recommended in the Matsya Purana for rulers and householders to maintain dharma and social order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

As a stuti-verse, it functions as a devotional invocation usable in pūjā and consecratory contexts; the epithets (attire, form, auspicious face) also align with pratima-lakṣaṇa (iconographic description), helpful for identifying Rudra’s auspicious attributes in temple worship.