Shloka 141

Matsya Purana — Yadu Lineage

Devanagari script

शिखण्डिने करालाय दंष्ट्रिणे विश्ववेधसे भास्वराय प्रतीताय सुदीप्ताय सुमेधसे //

Transliteration

śikhaṇḍine karālāya daṃṣṭriṇe viśvavedhase bhāsvarāya pratītāya sudīptāya sumedhase //

Translation

Salutations to the Crested One; to the Terrible One; to the Fanged One; to Him who pierces and pervades the whole universe; to the Radiant One; to the Manifest and renowned One; to the Intensely blazing One; to the All-wise One.

Word by Word

• śikhaṇḍine: to the crested/helmeted One

• karālāya: to the formidable/terrible One

• daṃṣṭriṇe: to the fanged One

• viśvavedhase: to the one who pierces/pervades the universe (all-penetrating)

• bhāsvarāya: to the shining, radiant One

• pratītāya: to the manifest, well-attested One

• sudīptāya: to the greatly blazing One

• sumedhase: to the one of excellent wisdom/intelligence

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (offering praise to the Supreme/Viṣṇu in a litany of epithets)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaivasvata Manu
• Lord Vishnu (Matsya/Paramatman implied)

Tags

• Stotra
• Divine Epithets
• Iconography
• Protection
• Bhakti

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it praises a deity described as all-pervading and intensely radiant—traits that Purāṇic theology associates with the supreme power that preserves order through cosmic upheavals like pralaya, even though this verse itself is a namavali (list of epithets) rather than a flood narrative.

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

As a royal/householder model, Manu’s act of reciting divine epithets frames devotion and remembrance (smaraṇa/stotra) as a stabilizing duty—cultivating clarity (sumedhā) and seeking protection from the formidable protector (karāla, sudīpta) while upholding dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the verse functions as a mantra-like salutation usable in pūjā or japa; iconographically, descriptors like “crested,” “fanged,” and “radiant” can guide how fierce or protective forms are envisioned in worship images, though no explicit Vāstu or temple-measure rule is stated here.