Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

आनर्तस्याभवत्पुत्रो रोचमानः प्रतापवान् आनर्तो नाभ देशो ऽभून् नगरी च कुशस्थली //

Transliteration

ānartasyābhavatputro rocamānaḥ pratāpavān ānarto nābha deśo 'bhūn nagarī ca kuśasthalī //

Translation

Ānarta had a son named Rocamāna, a radiant hero of great might. From Ānarta arose the Nābha region, and the city called Kuśasthalī.

Word by Word

• ānartasya: of Ānarta

• abhavat: there was/was born

• putraḥ: a son

• rocamānaḥ: Rocamāna (lit. 'radiant')

• pratāpavān: powerful, valorous

• ānartaḥ: Ānarta (name of a king/ancestor)

• nābhaḥ: Nābha (name of a people/region)

• deśaḥ: country/region

• abhūt: came to be/arose

• nagarī: city

• ca: and

• kuśasthalī: Kuśasthalī (city-name, lit. 'place/ground of kuśa-grass').

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (narrating to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Ānarta
• Rocamāna
• Nābha (region)
• Kuśasthalī

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Ancient Indian genealogy
• Sacred geography
• Puranic kings

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it preserves dynastic memory by linking a king (Ānarta) to a descendant (Rocamāna) and to the emergence/naming of a region (Nābha) and a city (Kuśasthalī).

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

By praising Rocamāna as pratāpavān (valorous/powerful), the verse reflects the Purāṇic ideal of kingship—protective strength and public order—while also grounding royal duty in lineage continuity and the founding of stable settlements.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse is primarily geographic-genealogical; its practical takeaway is the naming/founding of a city (Kuśasthalī), a motif often used in the Matsya Purana to connect righteous rule with the establishment of enduring urban centers (useful for readers seeking Matsya Purana sacred geography and settlement traditions).