Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Dhruva as Cosmic Pivot: Motions of Sun–Moon–Planets

Devanagari script

वृष्टिसर्गस्तथा तेषां धारासारः प्रकीर्तितः पुष्करावर्तका नाम ये मेघाः पक्षसम्भवाः //

Transliteration

vṛṣṭisargastathā teṣāṃ dhārāsāraḥ prakīrtitaḥ puṣkarāvartakā nāma ye meghāḥ pakṣasambhavāḥ //

Translation

Likewise, their particular mode of sending forth rain—its continuous downpour and essence—has been described. Those clouds, born of the rainy season, are known as the Puṣkarāvartaka clouds.

Word by Word

वृष्टि-सर्गःemission/production of rain

तथाlikewise/also

तेषाम्of those (clouds)

धारा-सारःthe essence of the stream/downpour, sustained rainfall

प्रकीर्तितःhas been declared/described

पुष्कर-आवर्तकाःPuṣkarāvartaka (a named class of clouds)

नामby name/known as

येwhich/that

मेघाःclouds

पक्ष-सम्भवाःarising from a pakṣa/seasonal period (i.e., season-born, commonly understood as monsoon-seasonal origin).

Speaker

Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

Puṣkarāvartaka cloudsRain (Vṛṣṭi)Dhārā (downpour)

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it focuses on cosmic order in nature—how rain is generated and classified—supporting the Purana’s broader view of regulated creation (sarga) rather than dissolution.

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

By emphasizing orderly rainfall as a foundation of prosperity, it indirectly supports the king’s duty to protect agriculture and water resources and the householder’s reliance on seasonal rhythms for cultivation, offerings, and sustenance.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu rule is stated, but the verse is relevant to ritual timing: sustained rains and seasonal cloud-types inform calendrical planning for rites, maintenance of water systems, and temple/agricultural scheduling.