Matsya Purana — Planetary Chariots, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

उत्तानपादस्तस्याथ विज्ञेयः सोत्तरो हनुः यज्ञो ऽधरस्तु विज्ञेयो धर्मो मूर्धानमाश्रितः //

Transliteration

uttānapādastasyātha vijñeyaḥ sottaro hanuḥ yajño 'dharastu vijñeyo dharmo mūrdhānamāśritaḥ //

Translation

അവന്റെ (വാസ്തു-പുരുഷന്റെ) കാര്യത്തിൽ ഉത്താനപാദൻ മേൽതാടിയെന്നു അറിയണം; യജ്ഞൻ കീഴ്താടിയെന്നു ഗ്രഹിക്കണം; ധർമ്മം ശിരസ്സിൽ ആശ്രയിച്ച് സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്।

Word by Word

• uttānapādaḥ: Uttānapāda (a named deity/figure assigned in the Vāstu-mandala)

• tasya: of him (of that Vāstu-Puruṣa)

• atha: then/indeed

• vijñeyaḥ: should be known/recognized

• sa-uttaraḥ: as the upper

• hanuḥ: jaw

• yajñaḥ: Yajña (sacrifice

• adharaḥ: lower

• tu: and/indeed

• vijñeyaḥ: should be known

• dharmaḥ: Dharma (righteous order, moral law)

• mūrdhānam: the head

• āśritaḥ: seated in/resting upon/abiding in

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, within the Vastuvidya discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Uttānapāda
• Yajña
• Dharma
• Vāstu-Puruṣa

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Vastu Purusha
• Mandala
• Iconography
• Ritual

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to the Vāstuvidyā section and explains how cosmic-ethical principles and named figures are mapped onto the Vāstu-Puruṣa’s body for architectural and ritual orientation.

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

By placing Dharma at the “head” and Yajña at the “jaw,” the text implies that righteous order and proper ritual underpin a well-ordered dwelling/temple—guiding householders and rulers to build and consecrate spaces aligned with dharma and sacred rites.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It gives a technical Vāstu-mandala correspondence: specific presences (Uttānapāda, Yajña, Dharma) occupy the Vāstu-Puruṣa’s head/jaw regions, informing placement, orientation, and ritual appeasement when laying out a site or temple plan.