Shloka 56

Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning

Devanagari script

उरभ्रांश्च तथा मेषान् सारङ्गानथ कूकुरान् नीलांश्चैव महानालान् करालान्मृगमातृकान् //

Transliteration

urabhrāṃśca tathā meṣān sāraṅgānatha kūkurān nīlāṃścaiva mahānālān karālānmṛgamātṛkān //

Translation

“(He should note/encounter) urabhra-deer and rams, then sāraṅga antelopes and wild dogs; and also the ‘blue’ (dark-hued) kinds, the long-muzzled (varieties), the fierce ones, and the does (female deer).”}]}

Word by Word

• urabhrān: urabhra-deer (a kind of deer/antelope)

• ca: and

• tathā: likewise

• meṣān: rams/sheep

• sāraṅgān: sāraṅga antelopes/deer

• atha: then

• kūkurān: dogs (often taken as wild dogs/jackals in forest lists)

• nīlān: blue/dark-hued (varieties)

• ca eva: and also

• mahānālān: long-snouted/long-muzzled (lit. ‘having great nāla’)

• karālān: fierce/terrible

• mṛgamātṛkān: female deer/does (lit. ‘mothers of deer’)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account; descriptive catalogue style—speaker not explicitly marked in this single verse)

Entities Mentioned

• Urabhra
• Meṣa
• Sāraṅga
• Kūkura
• Mṛga (deer)

Tags

• Matsya Purana fauna list
• Forest animals
• Puranic taxonomy
• Hunting/woods context
• Natural descriptions

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it functions as a descriptive catalogue of animal types (deer, rams, wild dogs) and their varieties.

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

Indirectly, such lists are used in Purāṇic literature to frame forest knowledge—useful for kings (governance of forests, hunting regulation) and householders (understanding prescribed interactions with wilderness and animals).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated here; its value is primarily lexical and descriptive, supporting broader Purāṇic sections that may discuss forests, sacred geographies, or regulated royal activities.