Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Jambūdvīpa: Varṣas

Devanagari script

अवगाह्य ह्युभयतः समुद्रौ पूर्वपश्चिमौ हिमप्रायश्च हिमवान् हेमकूटश्च हेमवान् //

Transliteration

avagāhya hyubhayataḥ samudrau pūrvapaścimau himaprāyaśca himavān hemakūṭaśca hemavān //

Translation

Plunging down on both sides into the eastern and western oceans, there lie the snow-laden Himavān, and also Hemakūṭa, together with Hemavān.

Word by Word

• avagāhya: plunging down, descending into

• hi: indeed

• ubhayataḥ: on both sides

• samudrau: (into) the two oceans/seas

• pūrva-paścimau: eastern and western

• hima-prāyaḥ: abounding in snow, mostly snowy

• ca: and

• himavān: the Himavān mountain (Himālaya)

• hemakūṭaḥ: Hemakūṭa mountain

• ca: and

• hemavān: Hemavān (a golden/snowy mountain-name in Purāṇic geography)

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lord Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Samudra (oceans)
• Himavān (Himalaya)
• Hemakūṭa
• Hemavān

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Cosmology
• Mountains
• Jambudvipa
• Puranic Topography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to cosmographical narration, describing how major mountain ranges are situated with respect to the eastern and western oceans.

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

Indirectly, it supports Purāṇic dharma by mapping the sacred world—knowledge of tīrthas, regions, and boundaries that a king protects and a householder reveres through pilgrimage and ritual geography.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or temple-rule is stated; the practical ritual takeaway is the Purāṇic emphasis on sacred geography (mountains and oceans) that underlies tīrtha-mahātmyas and region-based rites.