Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

शैलानितम्बदेशेषु न्यवसच्च स्वयं नृपः पयः क्षरन्ति ते दिव्यम् अमृतस्वादुकण्टकम् //

Transliteration

śailānitambadeśeṣu nyavasacca svayaṃ nṛpaḥ payaḥ kṣaranti te divyam amṛtasvādukaṇṭakam //

Translation

In den Gegenden an den Berghängen nahm der König selbst Aufenthalt. Von dort strömt ein göttlich milchiges Wasser hervor, im Geschmack dem Amṛta gleich: süß, doch mit einem leichten, pikanten Nachklang.

Word by Word

• शैल (śaila): mountain

• अनितम्ब-देशेषु (anitamba-deśeṣu): on the slopes/shoulders of the mountain, in the hillside tracts

• न्यवसत् (nyavasat): dwelt, stayed

• च (ca): and

• स्वयं (svayaṃ): himself

• नृपः (nṛpaḥ): the king

• पयः (payaḥ): milk, milky water

• क्षरन्ति (kṣaranti): they flow, they ooze forth

• ते (te): those (springs/waters/places)

• दिव्यम् (divyam): divine, supernatural

• अमृत-स्वादु (amṛta-svādu): nectar-tasting, ambrosial-sweet

• कण्टकम् (kaṇṭakam): slightly sharp/pungent, prickly (as a taste-note)

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing the king’s stay and the miraculous waters (within the Matsya Purana’s descriptive narrative flow)

Entities Mentioned

• nṛpa (the king)

Tags

• Sacred geography
• Tirtha
• Divine springs
• Kingship
• Matsya Purana sacred sites

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it highlights a sacred landscape feature—divine, nectar-like waters emerging from mountain slopes—used in Puranic literature as a sign of auspiciousness and sanctity rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

By noting that the king himself resides near such a place, the verse implies a royal duty of choosing an auspicious, resource-rich, and ritually pure environment—good water sources and sacred terrain are key markers for stable governance and righteous settlement.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In Vastu-oriented readings, naturally pure and ‘divine’ waters near hillside tracts are favorable indicators for founding residences, hermitages, or sacred precincts; such water sources support ritual purity (snāna, ācamana) and long-term habitation.