Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Account of the Manvantaras: Manus

Devanagari script

हिरण्यरोमा सप्ताश्वः सप्तैते ऋषयः स्मृताः देवाश्चाभूतरजसस् तथा प्रकृतयः शुभाः //

Transliteration

hiraṇyaromā saptāśvaḥ saptaite ṛṣayaḥ smṛtāḥ devāścābhūtarajasas tathā prakṛtayaḥ śubhāḥ //

Translation

Hiraṇyaromā and Saptāśva are remembered as among the seven Ṛṣis; and likewise the gods of the Abhūtarajas group, as well as the auspicious Prakṛtis (primordial constituents), are also spoken of.

Word by Word

• hiraṇyaromā: Hiraṇyaromā (a proper name)

• saptāśvaḥ: Saptāśva (a proper name, lit. ‘seven-horsed’)

• sapta: seven

• ete: these

• ṛṣayaḥ: seers, sages

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/are traditionally stated

• devāḥ: gods

• ca: and

• abhūtarajasaḥ: of the Abhūtarajas class/group (a named category)

• tathā: likewise/also

• prakṛtayaḥ: Prakṛtis, primordial natures/constituents

• śubhāḥ: auspicious, beneficent

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu in a cosmological enumeration context)

Entities Mentioned

• Hiraṇyaromā
• Saptāśva
• Saptarishis
• Devas
• Abhūtarajas
• Prakṛtis

Tags

• Creation
• Manvantara
• Cosmology
• Saptarishis
• Puranic taxonomy

FAQs

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

It functions as a creation-era catalogue: it names sage-groups and divine classes (like Abhūtarajas) and mentions Prakṛtis, implying an ordered cosmos constituted by primordial principles rather than describing the flood or dissolution directly.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma in cosmic order: by recognizing established classes of sages and gods, the king/householder is reminded that social and ritual duties align with a larger, inherited (smṛta) structure of the universe.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu rule appears, but the mention of Prakṛtis supports the Purāṇic idea that ritual and temple practice should mirror cosmic constituents and hierarchies—an underlying principle later used in iconography and sacred architecture.