Shloka 60

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Jambūdvīpa: Varṣas

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच शृणुध्वं यानि वर्षाणि पूर्वोक्तानि च वै मया दक्षिणेन तु नीलस्य निषधस्योत्तरेण तु //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca śṛṇudhvaṃ yāni varṣāṇi pūrvoktāni ca vai mayā dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya niṣadhasyottareṇa tu //

Translation

Sūta said: “Listen to the regions (varṣas) that were previously described by me—those lying to the south of the Nīla mountain and to the north of Niṣadha.”

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta (the narrator)

• uvāca: said

• śṛṇudhvaṃ: listen (all of you)

• yāni: which

• varṣāṇi: regions/countries (varṣas)

• pūrvoktāni: previously stated

• ca: and

• vai: indeed

• mayā: by me

• dakṣiṇena: to the south (of)

• tu: but/indeed

• nīlasya: of (Mount) Nīla

• niṣadhasya: of (Mount) Niṣadha

• uttareṇa: to the north (of)

• tu: indeed.

Speaker

• Suta

Entities Mentioned

• Suta
• Nīla (mountain)
• Niṣadha (mountain)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Jambudvipa
• Varsha
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic Maps

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it introduces a geographic classification of varṣas by mountain boundaries (Nīla and Niṣadha) within the Purāṇic cosmographic framework.

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

Indirectly, Purāṇic geography frames the sacred world-order in which kings rule and householders perform rites; knowing the named regions and boundaries supports pilgrimage lore, jurisdictional imagination, and dharmic orientation, though no direct duty is stated here.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is given; the ritual relevance is contextual—sacred geography underpins tīrtha (pilgrimage) mapping and the cosmological orientation often used in temple and ritual world-view.