Shloka 32

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Jambūdvīpa: Varṣas

Devanagari script

धनुःसंस्थे तु विज्ञेये देवर्षे दक्षिणोत्तरे दीर्घाणि तस्य चत्वारि मध्यमं तदिलावृतम् //

Transliteration

dhanuḥsaṃsthe tu vijñeye devarṣe dakṣiṇottare dīrghāṇi tasya catvāri madhyamaṃ tadilāvṛtam //

Translation

O divine seer, know that in the bow-shaped disposition, the axis runs from south to north. Its length is to be taken as four measures; and the middle portion of that arrangement is Ilāvṛta.

Word by Word

• धनुःसंस्थे: in the bow-shaped arrangement/disposition

• तु: indeed

• विज्ञेये: should be known/understood

• देवर्षे: O divine seer

• दक्षिणोत्तरे: in the south-to-north direction (southern and northern axis)

• दीर्घाणि: lengths/long measures

• तस्य: of it

• चत्वारि: four

• मध्यमम्: the middle/central portion

• तत्: that

• इलावृतम्: Ilāvṛta (the central region, traditionally around Meru)

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Manu, addressing a seer within the narrative frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Ilāvṛta

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Sacred Geography
• Cosmography
• Directional Layout
• Measurements

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on spatial orientation and proportional measures, identifying Ilāvṛta as the central zone within a described layout.

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

By emphasizing correct north–south orientation and proportional planning, it supports the king’s duty to establish orderly settlements and sacred spaces, and the householder’s duty to build according to auspicious, text-based layout principles.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It prescribes a directional axis (south to north) and a proportional length (four measures) and marks the central portion as Ilāvṛta—an archetype for placing the most important, sanctified core in the middle of a plan.