Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

मनःशिलामयं दिव्यं सुवेलं पर्वतं प्रति लोहितो हेमशृङ्गस्तु गिरिः सूर्यप्रभो महान् //

Transliteration

manaḥśilāmayaṃ divyaṃ suvelaṃ parvataṃ prati lohito hemaśṛṅgastu giriḥ sūryaprabho mahān //

Translation

Facing the divine Suvela mountain—formed of manaḥśilā (red arsenic)—stands the great mountain Lohita, whose peaks are golden and whose radiance is like that of the sun.

Word by Word

• मनःशिलामयम्: made of manaḥśilā (red arsenic/realgar)

• दिव्यम्: divine, celestial

• सुवेलम्: (the) Suvela (mountain)

• पर्वतम्: mountain

• प्रति: towards, facing, in the direction of

• लोहितः: red, the reddish (named) Lohita

• हेमशृङ्गः: having golden peaks/summits

• तु: and/indeed

• गिरिः: mountain

• सूर्यप्रभः: sun-radiant, shining like the sun

• महान्: great, mighty

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Suvela
• Lohita

Tags

• Puranic Geography
• Jambudvipa
• Sacred Mountains
• Cosmography
• Mythic Topography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic description, mapping divine mountains and their luminous, mineral-like features within the sacred world-order.

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

Directly, it does not prescribe royal or household duties; indirectly, such cosmographic passages ground dharma by presenting the ordered sacred geography in which pilgrimage, ritual orientation, and royal patronage of holy sites are traditionally situated.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu rule is stated, but the emphasis on direction (“towards/facing”) and radiant, auspicious materials (golden peaks, sun-like brilliance) aligns with broader Purāṇic ideals of auspicious orientation and luminous symbolism used in temple-site imagination.