Shloka 21
Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning
तथा गुग्गुलवृक्षैश्च हिन्तालधवलेक्षुभिः तृणशून्यैः करवीरैर् अशोकैश् चक्रमर्दनैः //
tathā guggulavṛkṣaiśca hintāladhavalekṣubhiḥ tṛṇaśūnyaiḥ karavīrair aśokaiś cakramardanaiḥ //
Likewise, the area should be planted with guggulu trees, hintāla palms, and pale sugarcane; and—keeping the ground free of wild grass—with karavīra (oleander), aśoka, and cakramardana plants.
FAQs
This verse is not about Pralaya; it gives practical Vastu-oriented guidance on selecting and arranging specific plants and keeping the ground weed-free, emphasizing orderly, auspicious habitation rather than cosmic dissolution.
It supports the duty of maintaining a well-ordered, healthy, and auspicious environment—through planned planting and cleanliness—which a king applies to towns and public gardens and a householder applies to home compounds and sacred spaces.
The ritual-architectural point is landscape prescription: certain trees and medicinal plants (guggulu, aśoka, etc.) are recommended as auspicious plantings, and the instruction to keep areas tṛṇaśūnya (free of wild grass) aligns with Vastu ideals of purity, order, and maintained precincts around homes/temples.