Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Description of Himavat

Devanagari script

देवदारुवनैर्नीलैः कृताधोवसनं शुभम् मेघोत्तरीयकं शैलं ददृशे स नराधिपः //

Transliteration

devadāruvanairnīlaiḥ kṛtādhovasanaṃ śubham meghottarīyakaṃ śailaṃ dadṛśe sa narādhipaḥ //

Translation

That king beheld a mountain, auspicious in aspect: its lower slopes seemed clothed in dark-blue deodāra forests, and its upper region appeared draped in a mantle of clouds.

Word by Word

• देवदारुवनैः: with forests of deodāra (cedar)

• नीलैः: dark-blue/dusky

• कृत-अधो-वसनम्: made as though wearing a lower garment (i.e., the lower part clothed)

• शुभम्: auspicious, beautiful

• मेघ-उत्तरीयकम्: having clouds as an upper garment/shawl

• शैलम्: mountain

• ददृशे: saw, beheld

• सः: he

• नर-अधिपः: king, ruler of men

Speaker

• Narrator (Purāṇic narration; likely Sūta describing events to the sages)

Entities Mentioned

• Devadāru (deodar cedar)
• Megha (clouds)
• Śaila (mountain)
• Narādhipa (king)

Tags

• Tirtha-Mahatmya
• Sacred Geography
• Nature Imagery
• Pilgrimage
• Auspicious Signs

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a sacred-geography style description highlighting auspicious natural features—forests and cloud-capped peaks—often used in the Purāṇas to mark holy terrain.

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

It presents the king as observant and responsive to auspicious surroundings—an implied royal virtue in Purāṇic ethics: to recognize sacred landscapes, undertake righteous journeys (yātrā), and honor places conducive to dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu rule is stated, but the imagery encodes ritual-auspicious markers: a stable, forested mountain with cloud “garments” suggests a sanctified setting suitable for tīrtha visitation, tapas, or the placement of shrines in later contextual passages.