Shloka 22

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्गिरौ निवसति गिरिशो धूम्रलोहितः तस्य पादात्प्रभवति शैलोदं नाम तत्सरः //

Transliteration

tasmingirau nivasati giriśo dhūmralohitaḥ tasya pādātprabhavati śailodaṃ nāma tatsaraḥ //

Translation

Upon that mountain dwells Girīśa (Śiva), the smoke-hued and ruddy one. From his foot there arises the lake known as Śailoda.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन् (tasmin): on that

• गिरौ (girau): mountain

• निवसति (nivasati): dwells

• गिरिशः (giriśaḥ): Lord of the mountain (Śiva)

• धूम्रलोहितः (dhūmra-lohitaḥ): smoke-coloured and reddish (epithet)

• तस्य (tasya): of him

• पादात् (pādāt): from the foot

• प्रभवति (prabhavati): arises/comes forth

• शैलोदं (śailodaṁ): Śailoda (name)

• नाम (nāma): called

• तत्-सरः (tat-saraḥ): that lake (saraḥ).

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing a sacred geographical tradition within the Matsya Purana

Entities Mentioned

• Girisha (Shiva)
• Shailoda (lake)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred Geography
• Shiva
• Himalayas
• Puranic Topography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it presents a sacred-geography motif where a holy lake is said to originate from Śiva’s foot, emphasizing the sanctity and divine source of a tirtha.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of pilgrimage and reverence for tirthas: kings and householders are encouraged to honor sacred places and uphold dharma through acts like visiting, protecting, and endowing such sites.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it identifies Śailoda as a divinely sourced water-body suitable for tirtha-related rites (snāna, tarpaṇa). Architecturally, it implies the prominence of water-sources near sacred sites, often guiding the placement of shrines and pilgrimage infrastructure.