Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — Ila–Sudyumna Episode and the Expansion of the Ikṣvāku

Devanagari script

उत्कलो वै गहस् तद्वद् धरिताश्वश् च वीर्यवान् उत्कलस्योत्कला नाम गयस्य तु गया मता //

Transliteration

utkalo vai gahas tadvad dharitāśvaś ca vīryavān utkalasyotkalā nāma gayasya tu gayā matā //

Translation

Indeed there was Utkala, and likewise Gaha; and also the valiant Dharitāśva, possessed of strength. From Utkala arose (a land or people) called Utkalā, and from Gaya arose what is known as Gayā.

Word by Word

• utkalaḥ: Utkala (a king/ancestor)

• vai: indeed

• gahaḥ: Gaha (a king/ancestor)

• tadvad: likewise/in the same manner

• dharitāśvaḥ: Dharitāśva (a heroic king/ancestor)

• ca: and

• vīryavān: mighty/valiant

• utkalasya: of Utkala

• utkalā: Utkalā (eponymous land/people)

• nāma: by name/called

• gayasya: of Gaya

• tu: and/indeed

• gayā: Gayā (place/region)

• matā: is considered/is held to be (so).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) speaking to Vaivasvata Manu

Entities Mentioned

• Utkala
• Gaha
• Dharitāśva
• Utkalā
• Gaya
• Gayā

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Eponyms
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic Kings

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it records dynastic names and how regions/peoples (Utkalā, Gayā) are traditionally traced to ancestral figures.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purana’s emphasis on lineage, legitimate succession, and the remembrance of ancestors—core to royal identity and to household rites like honoring forebears.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vastu or temple-rule detail appears here; the main ritual takeaway is sacred-geographical memory, especially the traditional identification of Gayā as a renowned tīrtha region.