Matsya Purana — Planetary Chariots, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच ताराग्रहाणां वक्ष्यामि स्वर्भानोस्तु रथं पुनः अथ तेजोमयः शुभ्रः सोमपुत्रस्य वै रथः //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca tārāgrahāṇāṃ vakṣyāmi svarbhānostu rathaṃ punaḥ atha tejomayaḥ śubhraḥ somaputrasya vai rathaḥ //

Translation

ਸੂਤ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ—ਮੈਂ ਤਾਰਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਗ੍ਰਹਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਵਰਣਨ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ, ਅਤੇ ਫਿਰ ਸਵਰਭਾਨੁ (ਰਾਹੁ) ਦੇ ਰਥ ਦਾ ਵੀ। ਹੁਣ ਸੋਮਪੁੱਤਰ ਦਾ ਰਥ ਤੇਜੋਮਯ, ਚਮਕਦਾਰ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ੁੱਧ ਸਫੈਦ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)

• uvāca: said

• tārā-grahāṇām: of the stars and planets

• vakṣyāmi: I shall describe

• svarbhānoḥ: of Svarbhānu (Rāhu)

• tu: indeed/and

• ratham: chariot

• punaḥ: again/further

• atha: now/then

• tejaḥ-mayaḥ: consisting of splendor/light

• śubhraḥ: white, bright, pure

• soma-putrasya: of Soma’s son (traditionally Budha/Mercury)

• vai: indeed, certainly

• rathaḥ: chariot.

Speaker

• Suta

Entities Mentioned

• Suta
• Tara (stars)
• Graha (planets)
• Svarbhanu (Rahu)
• Soma
• Soma-putra (Budha/Mercury)

Tags

• Jyotisha
• Grahas
• Rahu
• Planetary chariots
• Puranic cosmology

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to a cosmological-astronomical passage describing celestial bodies and the symbolic “chariots” of grahas such as Rāhu and Budha.

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

Indirectly, such Jyotiṣa-style descriptions support timekeeping and auspicious calendrical awareness used by kings and householders for rites, governance decisions, and ritual scheduling, though no explicit dharma-duty is stated here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu rule is stated, but the imagery (radiant, white, light-formed chariot) aligns with ritual-visual symbolism used in graha worship and in iconographic contemplation within Purāṇic ritual contexts.