Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Division of Bhārata-varṣa

Devanagari script

तैर्विमिश्रा जानपदा आर्या म्लेच्छाश्च सर्वतः पिबन्ति बहुला नद्यो गङ्गा सिन्धुः सरस्वती //

Transliteration

tairvimiśrā jānapadā āryā mlecchāśca sarvataḥ pibanti bahulā nadyo gaṅgā sindhuḥ sarasvatī //

Translation

With them, the provinces are intermingled on every side—both Āryas and Mlecchas everywhere. Many rivers flow there, and people drink their waters: the Gaṅgā, the Sindhu, and the Sarasvatī.

Word by Word

• taiḥ: with those (people/tribes)

• vimiśrāḥ: mixed, intermingled

• jānapadāḥ: provinces, territorial communities

• āryāḥ: Āryas (Vedic/civilized peoples)

• mlecchāḥ: Mlecchas (non-Vedic/foreign peoples)

• ca: and

• sarvataḥ: everywhere, on all sides

• pibanti: drink (the water), partake of

• bahulāḥ: many, abundant

• nadyaḥ: rivers

• gaṅgā: the Ganges

• sindhuḥ: the Indus

• sarasvatī: the Sarasvatī River

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Ārya
• Mleccha
• Gaṅgā
• Sindhu
• Sarasvatī

Tags

• Sacred Rivers
• Puranic Geography
• Janapadas
• Ārya-Mleccha
• Bhū-maṇḍala

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to a geographic-ethnographic description, emphasizing the intermingling of peoples and the life-sustaining role of major rivers.

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

By noting mixed populations (Ārya and Mleccha) and shared dependence on rivers, it implies governance and household life must account for diverse communities and protect river-water access—key to prosperity, agriculture, and public welfare.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu rule is stated, but the prominence of Gaṅgā–Sindhu–Sarasvatī highlights river proximity as ritually auspicious and practically vital—often guiding site-selection for settlements, ghāṭas, and temples in related Purāṇic and Vāstu contexts.