Shloka 86

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Śākadvīpa and Successive Dvīpas: Mountains

Devanagari script

अन्धकारकदेशात्तु मुनिदेशस्तथा परः मुनिदेशात्परे चापि प्रोच्यते दुन्दुभिस्वनः //

Transliteration

andhakārakadeśāttu munideśastathā paraḥ munideśātpare cāpi procyate dundubhisvanaḥ //

Translation

Beyond the region called Andhakāraka lies the tract known as Munideśa; and beyond Munideśa again is declared the region called Dundubhisvana—“the reverberation of the drum.”

Word by Word

• andhakāraka-deśāt: from (beyond) the region named Andhakāraka

• tu: indeed/then

• muni-deśaḥ: the region called Munideśa (sages’ quarter)

• tathā: likewise

• paraḥ: further/beyond

• muni-deśāt: from (beyond) Munideśa

• pare: further/beyond

• ca api: and also

• procyate: is said/declared

• dundubhi-svanaḥ: Dundubhisvana, ‘drum-sound/reverberation’ (a named zone).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, Vastu-oriented exposition)

Entities Mentioned

• Andhakāraka
• Munideśa
• Dundubhisvana

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Sacred Geography
• Directional Zones
• Temple-Town Planning
• Auspicious Sounds

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a Vastu-style classification of named regions/zones, mapping successive areas beyond one another.

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

It supports the king’s/householder’s duty to found settlements and build correctly by recognizing prescribed zones—useful for planning towns, temples, and precincts according to traditional spatial categories.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It enumerates successive Vastu-geographic zones, including a region characterized by ‘drum-like reverberation’ (Dundubhisvana), implying attention to site-omen qualities (especially sound) when defining precincts.