Shloka 4

Matsya Purana — Emergence of Brahmā from the Golden Lotus and the Lotus-Form Earth

Devanagari script

या पद्मा सा रसा देवी पृथिवी परिचक्ष्यते ये पद्मसारगुरवस् तान्दिव्यान् पर्वतान्विदुः //

Transliteration

yā padmā sā rasā devī pṛthivī paricakṣyate ye padmasāraguravas tāndivyān parvatānviduḥ //

Translation

That which is called Padmā is also known as the goddess Rasā—indeed, she is spoken of as the Earth. And those mountains that are weighty with the essence (sāra) of the Padma are to be understood as divine mountains.

Word by Word

• yā: which (fem.)

• padmā: Padmā (name/designation)

• sā: that (same)

• rasā: Rasā (goddess/name)

• devī: goddess

• pṛthivī: Earth

• paricakṣyate: is called/declared

• ye: which/those (pl.)

• padma-sāra: the essence of Padma / lotus-essence

• guravaḥ: heavy, weighty, massive

• tān: those

• divyān: divine, celestial

• parvatān: mountains

• viduḥ: (they) know/understand (i.e., are to be known as).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic teaching (within the Manu–Matsya discourse framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Padmā
• Rasā Devī
• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Divya Parvata (divine mountains)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Sacred Geography
• Earth Goddess
• Puranic Topography
• Mountains

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; it presents a cosmographic identification of the Earth as the goddess Rasā/Padmā and classifies certain mountains as ‘divine’ based on their sacred essence.

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

By framing Earth as a goddess (Rasā/Padmā), the verse supports the dharmic attitude of reverence toward land—encouraging righteous governance, protection of terrain and resources, and restrained, respectful use of the Earth’s bounty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Indirectly, it sacralizes the landscape: ‘divine mountains’ and the deified Earth provide a ritual-geographic basis for tīrtha reverence and for choosing auspicious sites (a common Vastu/ritual concern) by treating landforms as inherently sacred.