Shloka 32

Matsya Purana — Genealogy of Kaśyapa: Ādityas

Devanagari script

गृध्री गृध्रान्कपोतांश्च पारावतविहंगमान् हंससारसक्रौञ्चांश् च प्लवाञ्छुचिरजीजनत् //

Transliteration

gṛdhrī gṛdhrānkapotāṃśca pārāvatavihaṃgamān haṃsasārasakrauñcāṃś ca plavāñchucirajījanat //

Translation

Then the creative power brought forth Gṛdhrī and the vultures, pigeons and doves (and other birds), along with swans, cranes, and krauñca-birds, and also the plava-birds—pure in their kind—into existence.

Word by Word

• gṛdhrī: female vulture

• gṛdhrān: vultures

• kapotān: pigeons

• ca: and

• pārāvata-vihaṅgamān: doves/blue rock-pigeons and other birds (lit. ‘pārāvata-birds’)

• haṃsa: swans

• sārasa: cranes

• krauñcān: krauñca-birds (a crane/heron-like bird)

• plavān: plava-birds (waterfowl/shore-birds

• śuciḥ: pure, clean

• ajījanat: created, generated (brought into being).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account; creation passage within the Matsya Purāṇa’s discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• gṛdhra (vulture)
• kapota (pigeon)
• pārāvata (dove)
• haṃsa (swan)
• sārasa (crane)
• krauñca (krauñca-bird)
• plava (waterfowl)

Tags

• Creation
• Sarga
• Cosmology
• Species enumeration
• Puranic ecology

FAQs

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

This verse pertains to sṛṣṭi (creation), specifically the generation of bird species; it does not describe pralaya, but it supports the Purāṇic idea of an ordered, category-wise emergence of life.

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

Indirectly, it grounds dharma in a world of diverse living beings—implying protection of creatures and restraint from needless harm, themes that later inform royal and household ethics in Purāṇic teaching.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual rule appears here; the verse is a cosmological catalogue, useful mainly for contextual reading of Matsya Purana’s creation framework rather than temple-architecture prescriptions.