Shloka 13

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

दिव्यारण्यं विशोकं च तस्य तीरे महद्वनम् तस्मिन्गिरौ निवसति यक्षो मणिधरो वशी //

Transliteration

divyāraṇyaṃ viśokaṃ ca tasya tīre mahadvanam tasmingirau nivasati yakṣo maṇidharo vaśī //

Translation

There is a divine forest called Viśoka, and on its bank lies a vast woodland. On that mountain dwells a Yakṣa named Maṇidhara, powerful and self-controlled.

Word by Word

• divya-araṇyam: divine forest

• viśokam: (named) Viśoka / sorrowless

• ca: and

• tasya: of that (place/river)

• tīre: on the bank/shore

• mahat-vanam: a great forest/large woodland

• tasmin: on that

• girau: mountain

• nivasati: dwells/resides

• yakṣaḥ: Yaksha (nature-spirit/guardian being)

• maṇidharaḥ: Maṇidhara (lit. 'jewel-bearer', proper name)

• vaśī: self-controlled/masterful/powerful.

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (narrator) relaying the Matsya Purana’s description; exact speaker unclear from single verse, but consistent with Purāṇic narration to the listening sages.

Entities Mentioned

• Viśoka (divine forest)
• Yakṣa
• Maṇidhara

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred Geography
• Yaksha
• Forest
• Mahatmya

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it describes sacred geography—an auspicious forest and a Yakṣa guardian dwelling on a mountain.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of honoring protected sacred spaces: rulers and householders are expected to preserve forests, respect holy sites, and avoid harming guardian-associated regions.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or temple rule is stated; the ritual takeaway is that the locale is presented as divinely charged (divyāraṇya, viśoka), suggesting suitability for pilgrimage, worship, or austerities under the protection of a Yakṣa.