Shloka 59

Matsya Purana — Hiranyakashipu’s Boons

Devanagari script

स्कन्धवन्तः सुशाखाश्च बहुतालसमुच्छ्रयाः अञ्जनाशोकवर्णाश्च बहवश्चित्रका द्रुमाः //

Transliteration

skandhavantaḥ suśākhāśca bahutālasamucchrayāḥ añjanāśokavarṇāśca bahavaścitrakā drumāḥ //

Translation

There were many trees with massive trunks and fine-spreading branches, rising to the height of many palm-trees, with hues like dark añjana and reddish aśoka—numerous, variegated, and splendid.

Word by Word

• skandha-vantaḥ: having thick trunks

• su-śākhāḥ: with beautiful branches

• ca: and

• bahu-tāla-samucchrayāḥ: towering to the height of many palm trees

• añjana: collyrium-like dark hue (deep black/blue-black)

• aśoka-varṇāḥ: having the color of the aśoka (reddish/orange-tinged)

• ca: and

• bahavaḥ: many

• citrakāḥ: variegated, multi-hued, picturesque

• drumāḥ: trees

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) relating the Matsya Purana’s description

Entities Mentioned

• Añjana
• Aśoka
• Tāla (palm tree)

Tags

• Vastuvidya
• Sacred landscape
• Forest description
• Pilgrimage geography
• Puranic ecology

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it paints an auspicious natural landscape—towering, well-formed trees—often used in Puranas to mark sacred or ideal regions.

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

It supports the ethic of maintaining prosperous, well-wooded lands—kings protect forests and groves, and householders value auspicious surroundings, reflecting order, fertility, and well-being.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In Vastu-oriented thinking, a site surrounded by healthy, tall, well-branched trees is a favorable environmental sign, aligning with ideals for selecting or praising sacred precincts and settlement landscapes.