Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

अविरुद्धान्वने दृष्ट्वा विस्मयं परमं ययौ तच्चाश्रमपदं पुण्यं बभूवात्रेः पुरा नृपम् //

Transliteration

aviruddhānvane dṛṣṭvā vismayaṃ paramaṃ yayau taccāśramapadaṃ puṇyaṃ babhūvātreḥ purā nṛpam //

Translation

Als er im Wald Wesen sah, die ohne Feindschaft lebten, geriet er in höchstes Staunen. O König, jener heilige Ort war einst die geweihte Āśrama‑Siedlung des Weisen Atri.

Word by Word

• aviruddhān: non-hostile, free from enmity

• vane: in the forest

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• vismayam: wonder, astonishment

• paramam: supreme, utmost

• yayau: he attained/went into (a state of)

• tat: that

• ca: and

• āśrama-padam: hermitage-site, abode of an āśrama

• puṇyam: holy, meritorious

• babhūva: was, became

• atreḥ: of Atri

• purā: formerly, in ancient times

• nṛpam: O king

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the scene to the listening sages

Entities Mentioned

• Atri
• Forest beings (non-hostile creatures)

Tags

• Ashrama
• Tirtha
• Mahatmya
• Rishi lineages
• Sacred geography

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya directly; it highlights a sanctified landscape where natural hostility is absent, a common Purāṇic sign of a spiritually charged āśrama-region rather than a cosmic dissolution theme.

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

By addressing “O King,” the verse frames reverence for rishi-āśramas as part of royal dharma: protecting holy places and honoring sages. For householders, it reinforces pilgrimage and respect for ascetic settlements as meritorious conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key term is āśrama-pada—an established sacred settlement. While no temple-building rule is stated, it implies a ritually potent site (kṣetra) suitable for worship, residence of sages, and merit-bearing visitation—useful for “Matsya Purana Vastu Shastra tips” only indirectly as a model of choosing serene, non-violent, auspicious land.