Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

शतसङ्ख्यैस् तापनीयैः शृङ्गैर्दिवमिवोल्लिखन् शृङ्गवान्सुमहादिव्यो दुर्गः शैलो महाचितः //

Transliteration

śatasaṅkhyais tāpanīyaiḥ śṛṅgairdivamivollikhan śṛṅgavānsumahādivyo durgaḥ śailo mahācitaḥ //

Translation

With hundreds of golden peaks, as though scraping the very sky, that lofty, radiant, peak-crowned mountain stood as a formidable natural fortress—vast and awe-inspiring.

Word by Word

• śata-saṅkhyaiḥ: by hundreds/in hundreds

• tāpanīyaiḥ: of gold/golden (tāpanīya)

• śṛṅgaiḥ: with peaks/summits

• divam: the sky/heaven

• iva: as if

• ullikhan: scraping/scratching (as though engraving)

• śṛṅgavān: possessing peaks, peak-crowned

• su-mahā-divyaḥ: exceedingly great and splendid/radiant

• durgaḥ: difficult to access, a stronghold/fortress

• śailaḥ: mountain

• mahā-citaḥ: very great/lofty, massive (literally ‘greatly piled/accumulated’).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s description (narrative voice; not direct dialogue in this verse)

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Mountain Fortress
• Vastu Concepts
• Landscape Iconography
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is descriptive rather than cosmological: it portrays a massive, radiant, peak-filled mountain and does not directly discuss Pralaya (dissolution) or creation.

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

By highlighting a mountain as a durga (stronghold), it aligns with royal concerns of protection and strategic geography—choosing naturally defensible terrain was a classical ideal for securing people, settlements, and pilgrimage routes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key technical term is durga—suggesting Vastu-oriented thinking where natural features (hills, peaks, difficult access) function as fortification; it supports the broader Puranic preference for elevated, prominent sites for strongholds and sacred complexes.