Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Cosmic Architecture of Sun–Moon and the ‘Houses of the Gods’

Devanagari script

एता मध्यास्तथान्याश्च ह्लादिन्यो हिमसर्जनाः शुक्लाश्च ककुभश्चैव गावो विश्वसृतश्च याः //

Transliteration

etā madhyāstathānyāśca hlādinyo himasarjanāḥ śuklāśca kakubhaścaiva gāvo viśvasṛtaśca yāḥ //

Translation

These are the intermediate rays, and there are others as well: those that are delight-giving, those that produce snow, the white ones; and likewise the directional quarters (kakubhas), and the “cows” said to pervade and flow forth into the whole world.

Word by Word

• etā: these

• madhyāḥ: the middle/intermediate ones

• tathā: likewise

• anyāḥ: others

• ca: and

• hlādinyaḥ: delight-giving/refreshing

• hima-sarjanāḥ: snow-producing/cold-shedding

• śuklāḥ: white/bright

• ca: and

• kakubhaḥ: quarters/directions (cardinal & intermediate)

• ca eva: and indeed/also

• gāvaḥ: cows

• viśva-sṛtaḥ: world-pervading/world-flowing

• ca: and

• yāḥ: which/that are (fem. pl.).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution for this Vastuvidya-style enumeration)

Entities Mentioned

• Kakubhas (directions/quarters)
• Gāvaḥ (cows, sacred class/imagery)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Directions
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic Enumeration
• Iconography Vocabulary

FAQs

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

This verse is not directly about Pralaya; it functions as a classificatory list describing types/groups linked with directions and qualities (cooling, snow-producing, whiteness), supporting an ordered cosmology rather than dissolution.

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

By emphasizing ordered categories like the quarters (kakubhas), it supports the Dharma of maintaining right orientation in settlements, rituals, and construction—practical concerns for householders and rulers responsible for planning and public works.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit mention of kakubhas (directions) points to Vastu-based orientation: ritual spaces and buildings are aligned by quarters, and qualities associated with directions guide placement and auspicious layout.