Matsya Purana — Secondary Creation: Appointment of Cosmic Regents and Consecration of Directi..., Shloka 2
*सूत उवाच यदाभिषिक्तः सकलाधिराज्ये पृथुर्धरित्र्यामधिपो बभूव तदौषधीनामधिपं चकार यज्ञव्रतानां तपसां च चन्द्रम् //
*sūta uvāca yadābhiṣiktaḥ sakalādhirājye pṛthurdharitryāmadhipo babhūva tadauṣadhīnāmadhipaṃ cakāra yajñavratānāṃ tapasāṃ ca candram //
Sūta dit : Lorsque Pṛthu fut consacré à la souveraineté universelle et devint le maître de la terre, il établit la Lune comme seigneur des plantes médicinales, et comme puissance présidant aux sacrifices, aux vœux sacrés et aux austérités.
FAQs
This verse is not about Pralaya; it presents a governance-and-cosmology theme where a consecrated king (Pṛthu) establishes ordered oversight in the world by assigning the Moon authority over herbs and ritual disciplines.
It reflects Rajadharma: a rightful king is portrayed as one who stabilizes society by instituting proper authorities and supporting yajña, vows, and tapas—i.e., safeguarding the religious-ethical framework that householders and ascetics follow.
Ritually, it links Candra to herbs (auṣadhi) and to yajña-vrata-tapas, implying lunar sanctity in observances, offerings, and disciplined practice—useful for understanding timing/auspiciousness and the sacral logic behind ritual materials like medicinal plants.