Matsya Purana — Planetary Chariots, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युक्तो हयैः पिशङ्गस्तु दशभिर् वातरंहसैः श्वेतः पिशङ्गः सारङ्गो नीलः श्यामो विलोहितः //

Transliteration

yukto hayaiḥ piśaṅgastu daśabhir vātaraṃhasaiḥ śvetaḥ piśaṅgaḥ sāraṅgo nīlaḥ śyāmo vilohitaḥ //

Translation

ఆ రథము వాయువేగముతో దూసుకుపోయే పది అశ్వములతో యుక్తమైయున్నది—ఒకటి పిశంగము, ఒకటి శ్వేతము, ఒకటి పిశంగము, ఒకటి సారంగము (చిత్తర), ఒకటి నీలము, ఒకటి శ్యామము, ఒకటి విలోహితము (ఎర్రగోధుమ).

Word by Word

• युक्तः (yuktaḥ): yoked, harnessed

• हयैः (hayaiḥ): with horses

• पिशङ्गः (piśaṅgaḥ): tawny, pale-brown

• तु (tu): indeed

• दशभिः (daśabhiḥ): with ten

• वातरंहसैः (vātaraṃhasaiḥ): moving with the speed of wind, wind-swift

• श्वेतः (śvetaḥ): white

• पिशङ्गः (piśaṅgaḥ): tawny

• सारङ्गः (sāraṅgaḥ): dappled/speckled (deer-like coloration)

• नीलः (nīlaḥ): blue/dark-blue

• श्यामः (śyāmaḥ): dark, dusky

• विलोहितः (vilohitaḥ): reddish, coppery-red

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (iconographic description within the discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• ten horses (wind-swift)

Tags

• Iconography
• Vahana
• Pratima Lakshana
• Temple Art
• Puranic Description

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it belongs to iconographic detailing, specifying the wind-swift horses and their traditional color-types for accurate depiction.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharma through correct patronage of temples and sacred art—kings and householders gain merit by commissioning images that follow Matsya Purana’s prescribed iconographic standards.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It functions as a Pratima-Lakshana guideline: when carving/painting a deity’s chariot-ensemble, the horses should be portrayed as ‘wind-swift’ and differentiated by canonical color categories used in temple iconography.