Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Description of Gomedaka and Puṣkara Dvīpas; the Lokāloka Boundary; Ocean Tide...

Devanagari script

आवृत्य तिष्ठति द्वीपः पुष्करः पुष्करैर्वृतः पुष्करेण वृतः श्रीमांश् चित्रसानुमहागिरिः //

Transliteration

āvṛtya tiṣṭhati dvīpaḥ puṣkaraḥ puṣkarairvṛtaḥ puṣkareṇa vṛtaḥ śrīmāṃś citrasānumahāgiriḥ //

Translation

Encircling the central region, the island-continent named Puṣkara stands, surrounded by lotus-like expanses; and within Puṣkara, the splendid great mountain called Citrasānu is likewise enclosed.

Word by Word

• āvṛtya: having encircled, surrounding

• tiṣṭhati: stands, remains

• dvīpaḥ: island-continent

• puṣkaraḥ: Puṣkara (name of the dvīpa

• puṣkaraiḥ: by puṣkaras, by lotus(-regions) / lotus-like tracts

• vṛtaḥ: surrounded, enclosed

• puṣkareṇa: by/with Puṣkara (instrumental

• śrīmān: splendid, glorious

• citrasānu-mahā-giriḥ: the great mountain Citrasānu (lit. ‘having variegated peaks/slopes’)

Speaker

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

Entities Mentioned

• Pushkara-dvipa
• Citrasanu Mahagiri

Tags

• Cosmography
• Dvipa
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic World Map
• Mountains

FAQs

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

This verse is cosmographic rather than pralaya-focused; it maps the stable arrangement of Puṣkara-dvīpa and a major mountain within it, reflecting the Purana’s ordered world-structure.

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

Indirectly, such geography supports dharma by defining sacred space and the broader cosmic order (loka-vyavasthā) that kings protect and householders honor through pilgrimage, ritual orientation, and respect for sacred landscapes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu rule appears, but the emphasis on enclosure/encirclement and central features echoes Purāṇic spatial thinking used in temple-site symbolism—centers (mountain/axis) bounded by concentric zones.