Shloka 31

Matsya Purana — Division of Bhārata-varṣa

Devanagari script

त्रिभागा ऋषिकुल्या च इक्षुदा त्रिदिवाचला ताम्रपर्णी तथा मूली शरवा विमला तथा महेन्द्रतनयाः सर्वाः प्रख्याताः शुभगामिनीः //

Transliteration

tribhāgā ṛṣikulyā ca ikṣudā tridivācalā tāmraparṇī tathā mūlī śaravā vimalā tathā mahendratanayāḥ sarvāḥ prakhyātāḥ śubhagāminīḥ //

Translation

Tribhāgā, R̥ṣikulyā, Ikṣudā, Tridivācalā, Tāmraparṇī, Mūlī, Śaravā, and Vimalā—these are all renowned rivers said to be the daughters of Mahendra, auspicious in their course and beneficent to those who approach them.

Word by Word

• त्रिभागा: Tribhāgā (name of a river)

• ऋषिकुल्या: Ṛṣikulyā (name of a river)

• च: and

• इक्षुदा: Ikṣudā (name of a river)

• त्रिदिवाचला: Tridivācalā (name of a river)

• ताम्रपर्णी: Tāmraparṇī (name of a river)

• तथा: likewise/and also

• मूली: Mūlī (name of a river)

• शरवा: Śaravā (name of a river)

• विमला: Vimalā (name of a river)

• तथा: also

• महेन्द्रतनयाः: daughters/offspring of Mahendra (a mountain)

• सर्वाः: all

• प्रख्याताः: well-known/celebrated

• शुभगामिनीः: of auspicious course, auspiciously flowing (beneficial rivers).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution for Matsya Purana’s main dialogue)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahendra (mountain)
• Tribhāgā
• Ṛṣikulyā
• Ikṣudā
• Tridivācalā
• Tāmraparṇī
• Mūlī
• Śaravā
• Vimalā

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred Rivers
• Punya
• Sacred Geography
• Matsya Purana Rivers

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya; it catalogs sacred rivers, emphasizing auspicious natural features of the world that remain central to pilgrimage and ritual life.

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

By identifying renowned, auspicious rivers, the text supports dharmic duties such as tīrtha-yātrā, ritual bathing, ancestral rites, and charitable acts performed at sacred waters—practices encouraged for householders and patronized by kings.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, these rivers function as tīrthas where स्नान (sacred bathing), offerings, and rites gain merit; architecturally, sacred rivers guide temple-town siting and auspicious landscape selection (a common Vastu-aligned principle even when not explicitly stated in this verse).