Shloka 29

Matsya Purana — Division of Bhārata-varṣa

Devanagari script

गोदावरी भीमरथी कृष्णवेणी च वञ्जुला तुङ्गभद्रा सुप्रयोगा वाह्या कावेरी चैव तु दक्षिणापथनद्यस्ताः सह्यपादाद्विनिःसृताः //

Transliteration

godāvarī bhīmarathī kṛṣṇaveṇī ca vañjulā tuṅgabhadrā suprayogā vāhyā kāverī caiva tu dakṣiṇāpathanadyastāḥ sahyapādādviniḥsṛtāḥ //

Translation

Godāvarī, Bhīmarathī, Kṛṣṇaveṇī, Vaṅjulā, Tuṅgabhadrā, Suprayogā, Vāhyā, and also Kāverī—these are the rivers of the Southern Path; they all arise from the foothills of the Sahya (Western Ghats).

Word by Word

• गोदावरी (godāvarī): the Godavari river

• भीमरथी (bhīmarathī): the Bhimarathi river

• कृष्णवेणी (kṛṣṇaveṇī): the Krishna-Veni (Krishna river, with Veni epithet)

• च (ca): and

• वञ्जुला (vañjulā): the Vanjula river

• तुङ्गभद्रा (tuṅgabhadrā): the Tungabhadra river

• सुप्रयोगा (suprayogā): Suprayoga (a river-name

• वाह्या (vāhyā): Vahya (a river-name

• कावेरी (kāverī): the Kaveri river

• चैव (caiva): and indeed/also

• तु (tu): moreover

• दक्षिणापथनद्यः (dakṣiṇāpatha-nadyaḥ): rivers of the Dakshinapatha (southern region/route)

• ताः (tāḥ): those

• सह्यपादात् (sahya-pādāt): from the foot of the Sahya mountain range

• विनिःसृताः (viniḥsṛtāḥ): have issued forth/arisen.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s sacred-geography section (speaker not explicit in this single verse).

Entities Mentioned

• Godavari
• Bhimarathi
• Krishnaveni (Krishna)
• Vanjula
• Tungabhadra
• Suprayoga
• Vahya
• Kaveri
• Sahya (Western Ghats)
• Dakshinapatha

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred Geography
• Dakshinapatha
• Rivers
• Sahya

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it catalogs sacred rivers and states their origin from the Sahya range, reflecting the Purana’s sacred-geography (tīrtha) mapping rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharma through tīrtha-orientation: rulers and householders are guided toward recognized sacred rivers for vows, donations, ancestral rites, and purification baths—key public and domestic religious duties in Purāṇic practice.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, these rivers function as tīrthas for स्नान (ritual bathing), तर्पण (offerings to ancestors), and दान (charity). Architecturally, such river lists often guide temple-town siting near auspicious water sources—useful context for “Matsya Purana Vastu Shastra tips” about selecting sacred landscapes.