Shloka 12

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

तस्य पादे महद्दिव्यं लोहितं सुमहत्सरः तस्मात्प्रभवते पुण्यो लौहित्यश्च नदो महान् //

Transliteration

tasya pāde mahaddivyaṃ lohitaṃ sumahatsaraḥ tasmātprabhavate puṇyo lauhityaśca nado mahān //

Translation

At his foot there is a vast, divine lake called Lohita. From that lake arises the holy and mighty river known as Lauhitya.

Word by Word

• तस्य (tasya): of him/that one

• पादे (pāde): at the foot

• महत् (mahat): great, vast

• दिव्यं (divyaṁ): divine, celestial

• लोहितं (lohitaṁ): ‘Lohita’ (red

• सुमहत् (sumahat): exceedingly great

• सरः (saraḥ): lake

• तस्मात् (tasmāt): from that

• प्रभवते (prabhavate): arises, originates

• पुण्यः (puṇyaḥ): holy, sacred

• लौहित्यः (lauhityaḥ): Lauhitya (proper name

• च (ca): and

• नदः (nadaḥ): river

• महान् (mahān): great, mighty

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (narrating to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Lohita (lake)
• Lauhitya (river, identified with Brahmaputra in later tradition)

Tags

• Tirtha
• River origin
• Sacred geography
• Punya
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it belongs to sacred geography, explaining the divine source of a holy river arising from a lake at a revered being’s foot.

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

Indirectly, it supports dharmic life by identifying a sacred river and tirtha: kings and householders gain merit through honoring such holy waters, supporting pilgrimages, and maintaining ritual purity.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the key point is the sanctity of Lauhitya’s waters—appropriate for snāna (sacred bathing), offerings to ancestors, and tirtha-related rites; no specific Vastu or temple-construction rule is stated in this verse.