Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Śākadvīpa and Successive Dvīpas: Mountains

Devanagari script

चतुर्थः पर्वतो द्रोणो यत्रौषध्यो महागिरौ विशल्यकरणी चैव मृतसंजीवनी तथा //

Transliteration

caturthaḥ parvato droṇo yatrauṣadhyo mahāgirau viśalyakaraṇī caiva mṛtasaṃjīvanī tathā //

Translation

The fourth mountain is Droṇa; upon that great peak grow the medicinal herbs—Viśalyakaraṇī, which removes missiles and pain, and Mṛtasaṃjīvanī, the life-restoring herb as well.

Word by Word

• चतुर्थः (caturthaḥ): the fourth

• पर्वतः (parvataḥ): mountain

• द्रोणः (droṇaḥ): Droṇa (name of a mountain)

• यत्र (yatra): where

• औषध्यः (auṣadhyaḥ): medicinal herbs/plants

• महागिरौ (mahāgirau): on the great mountain

• विशल्यकरणी (viśalyakaraṇī): the herb that removes śalya (arrows/foreign bodies), pain and affliction

• च (ca): and

• एव (eva): indeed/also

• मृतसंजीवनी (mṛtasaṃjīvanī): the life-restoring herb

• तथा (tathā): likewise/also

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Droṇa Mountain
• Viśalyakaraṇī
• Mṛtasaṃjīvanī

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Herbal Lore
• Puranic Mountains
• Ayurvedic Herbs
• Tirtha-Mahatmya

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it catalogs a sacred mountain (Droṇa) famed for rare life-saving herbs, emphasizing sacred geography and preservative healing knowledge rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports the royal and household duty of protection and welfare: knowing life-preserving resources (medicinal herbs) aligns with dharma as public care—especially for rulers responsible for health, disaster response, and sustaining life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or temple rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is the sanctity of specific landscapes—certain mountains are treated as repositories of divine potency (auṣadhi-śakti), often linked to pilgrimage and consecratory traditions.