Matsya Purana — Eclipse-Time Planetary Bath, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यः कर्मसाक्षी भूतानां धर्मो महिषवाहनः यमश्चन्द्रोपरागोत्थां मम पीडां व्यपोहतु //

Transliteration

yaḥ karmasākṣī bhūtānāṃ dharmo mahiṣavāhanaḥ yamaścandroparāgotthāṃ mama pīḍāṃ vyapohatu //

Translation

ਜੋ ਸਭ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੇ ਕਰਮਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਾਕਸ਼ੀ, ਧਰਮ-ਸਰੂਪ, ਮਹਿਸ਼-ਵਾਹਨ ਯਮ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਚੰਦਰ ਗ੍ਰਹਿਣ ਤੋਂ ਉੱਠੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਪੀੜਾ ਦੂਰ ਕਰੇ।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who

• karma-sākṣī: witness of actions (karmas)

• bhūtānām: of (all) beings

• dharmaḥ: Dharma / the Lord of righteousness

• mahiṣa-vāhanaḥ: whose vehicle is a buffalo

• yamaḥ: Yama (Vaivasvata, Lord of death and justice)

• candra-uparāga-utthām: arisen from the lunar eclipse

• mama: my

• pīḍām: affliction, pain, distress

• vyapohatu: may he drive away, remove

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating a śānti-mantra/prayoga within the Matsya Purana’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Yama
• Dharma
• Chandra (Moon)
• Uparāga (lunar eclipse)

Tags

• Dharma
• Yama
• Graha-śānti
• Uparāga
• Mantra

FAQs

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

Nothing directly about pralaya is stated here; the verse is a śānti-prayer focused on karmic order (Dharma/Yama) and the pacification of eclipse-born distress.

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

It reinforces karmic accountability—Yama as “witness of actions”—and implies that a householder or king should respond to ominous times (like eclipses) with dharmic restraint, prayer, and corrective rites rather than fear or negligence.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it is a graha-śānti usage: invoking Yama/Dharma to dispel “candra-uparāga” affliction. No Vāstu or temple-building rule is mentioned in this specific verse.