Shloka 39

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Jambūdvīpa: Varṣas

Devanagari script

मेरुस्तु शुशुभे दिव्यो राजवत्स तु वेष्टितः आदित्यतरुणाभासो विधूम इव पावकः //

Transliteration

merustu śuśubhe divyo rājavatsa tu veṣṭitaḥ ādityataruṇābhāso vidhūma iva pāvakaḥ //

Translation

The divine Mount Meru shone in splendour—encircled like a royal rampart—radiant with the fresh glow of the rising sun, like a smokeless fire.

Word by Word

• मेरुः (meruḥ): Mount Meru

• तु (tu): indeed/and

• शुशुभे (śuśubhe): shone, appeared splendid

• दिव्यः (divyaḥ): divine, celestial

• राजवत् (rājavat): like a king/royal, like a royal fortress

• सः (saḥ): that (Meru)

• वेष्टितः (veṣṭitaḥ): encircled, surrounded

• आदित्य (āditya): the Sun

• तरुण (taruṇa): young, fresh, newly risen

• आभासः (ābhāsaḥ): radiance, appearance, glow

• विधूमः (vidhūmaḥ): smokeless

• इव (iva): like

• पावकः (pāvakaḥ): fire

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator), within the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic description

Entities Mentioned

• Mount Meru
• Aditya (Sun)
• Pavaka (Fire)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Sacred Geography
• Meru
• Puranic Universe
• Imagery

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it presents cosmographic imagery of the stable, luminous axis-mountain (Meru), emphasizing order and radiance in the structured universe.

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

Indirectly, the simile “like a royal rampart” evokes ideals of protection and well-ordered sovereignty—suggesting that kingship, like Meru’s enclosure, should be stable, protective, and resplendent.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While not a Vāstu rule, the verse uses architectural language (encircled like a royal fortification), supporting the Purāṇic aesthetic of concentric, enclosed sacred forms—an idea later echoed in temple and mandala planning.