Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Characteristics of Dvāpara and Kali Yugas

Devanagari script

प्राच्यान्प्रतीच्यांश्च तथा विन्ध्यपृष्ठापरान्तिकान् तथैव दाक्षिणात्यांश्च द्रविडान्सिंहलैः सह //

Transliteration

prācyānpratīcyāṃśca tathā vindhyapṛṣṭhāparāntikān tathaiva dākṣiṇātyāṃśca draviḍānsiṃhalaiḥ saha //

Translation

Likewise (they enumerated) the Easterners and the Westerners, those dwelling along the Vindhya back-slopes and in Aparānta (the western coastal tract), and also the Southerners—the Draviḍas—together with the Siṃhalas (people of Laṅkā/Sri Lanka).

Word by Word

• prācyān: the eastern peoples

• pratīcyān: the western peoples

• ca: and

• tathā: likewise

• vindhya-pṛṣṭha: the back/upper slopes of the Vindhya range

• aparāntikān: the people of Aparānta (western coastal region)

• tathaiva: and in the same way/also

• dākṣiṇātyān: the southerners

• ca: and

• draviḍān: the Draviḍas (southern peoples)

• siṃhalaiḥ: with the Siṃhalas (Sri Lankans)

• saha: together with

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (context: cataloguing lands/peoples of Bhārata-varṣa)

Entities Mentioned

• Vindhya
• Aparānta
• Draviḍa
• Siṃhala

Tags

• Bhūgola
• Bhārata-varṣa
• Ancient Indian geography
• Peoples and regions
• Puranic ethnography

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it belongs to a geographic/ethnographic listing that classifies peoples by direction and major regions (east, west, Vindhya tract, Aparānta, south, Draviḍa, and Siṃhala).

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

Indirectly, such regional catalogues support the Purāṇic view of orderly governance: a king is expected to know the extent of realms, frontier regions, and peoples (janapadas) for administration, alliances, and protection, even though no explicit duty is stated here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule is stated; the significance is contextual—temple/ritual traditions in Purāṇas are often mapped onto sacred geography, and this verse contributes to that broader spatial framework by naming key regions and peoples.