Shloka 94

Matsya Purana — Cosmography of Śākadvīpa and Successive Dvīpas: Mountains

Devanagari script

प्रथमः सूर्यसंकाशः सुमना नाम पर्वतः पीतस्तु मध्यमश्चासीत् ततः कुम्भमयो गिरिः //

Transliteration

prathamaḥ sūryasaṃkāśaḥ sumanā nāma parvataḥ pītastu madhyamaścāsīt tataḥ kumbhamayo giriḥ //

Translation

The first mountain, radiant like the sun, was named Sumanā. The middle one was yellow in hue; after that came the mountain called Kumbhamaya.

Word by Word

• prathamaḥ: the first

• sūrya-saṃkāśaḥ: having the brilliance/appearance of the sun

• sumanā nāma: named Sumanā

• parvataḥ: mountain

• pītaḥ: yellow, golden-hued

• tu: indeed/and

• madhyamaḥ: the middle (one)

• ca: and

• āsīt: was

• tataḥ: thereafter/then

• kumbhamayaḥ: made of/consisting of “kumbha” (jar/pitcher-like

• giriḥ: mountain

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) relaying the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic account

Entities Mentioned

• Sumanā
• Kumbhamaya
• Sūrya

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Cosmography
• Puranic Mountains
• Toponymy
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya; it belongs to a cosmographic list, naming and characterizing mountains by color and radiance, reflecting the ordered structure of the world rather than its dissolution.

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

Directly, it does not prescribe duties; indirectly, such geographic catalogues support the Purana’s broader worldview used in governance and ritual—knowing sacred regions, boundaries, and notable landmarks for pilgrimage routes, donations, and territorial descriptions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu or temple-building rule appears here; the ritual takeaway is that named mountains and their qualities function as sacred markers in Puranic mapping, often used to contextualize tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and region-based rites.