Matsya Purana — Vishnu’s Battle with the Daityas: Astra-Combat, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कृष्णचामरजालाढ्ये सुधाविरचिताङ्कुरे चित्रपञ्चपताके तु प्रभिन्नकरटामुखे //

Transliteration

kṛṣṇacāmarajālāḍhye sudhāviracitāṅkure citrapañcapatāke tu prabhinnakaraṭāmukhe //

Translation

其上当以黑色旃摩罗（牦牛尾拂）作网状陈设为饰；又以苏陀（精细石灰灰泥）塑成如嫩芽般的卷纹；并悬五面杂彩旌旗；且具象首之饰，宛若流出发情之液（rut）。

Word by Word

• kṛṣṇa: black/dark

• cāmara: yak-tail whisk (chowrie)

• jāla: net, lattice, mesh

• āḍhya: rich in, filled with

• sudhā: lime-plaster, stucco

• viracita: fashioned, constructed

• aṅkura: sprout, shoot (scroll motif)

• citra: variegated, ornate, pictorial

• pañca: five

• patākā: banner, pennant

• tu: indeed/and

• prabhinnaka: flowing forth, bursting (esp. rut in elephants)

• raṭa/karatā: rut/temple-region of an elephant (by sense)

• mukha: face, front, facade (elephant-faced motif).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu on sacred/royal architectural-iconographic standards)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Temple Architecture
• Iconography
• Ornamentation
• Pratima Lakshana

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it focuses on auspicious architectural/iconographic decoration—stucco scrollwork, banners, and elephant motifs—used to sacralize a structure.

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

By prescribing refined, auspicious ornamentation for public or sacred spaces, it aligns with the king’s duty to commission dharmic construction and with a householder’s duty to maintain orderly, sanctified environments for worship and social rites.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It specifies Vastu-aligned decorative elements—sudhā (stucco) scroll motifs, a set of five banners, and powerful elephant-faced emblems—signaling auspiciousness, grandeur, and ritual readiness of the built space.