Shloka 52

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

ततस्तु ह्लादिनी पुण्या प्राचीनाभिमुखी ययौ प्लावयन्त्युपकांश्चैव निषादानपि सर्वशः //

Transliteration

tatastu hlādinī puṇyā prācīnābhimukhī yayau plāvayantyupakāṃścaiva niṣādānapi sarvaśaḥ //

Translation

Then the sacred river Hlādinī, bringing delight, flowed eastward, inundating everywhere the Upakā people as well as the Niṣādas, the forest-dwellers.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then

• tu: indeed/and

• hlādinī: (the river) Hlādinī, ‘delighting/cooling’

• puṇyā: holy, sacred

• prācīna-abhimukhī: facing east, eastward

• yayau: went, flowed

• plāvayantī: flooding, causing to be submerged

• upakān: the Upakā people/tribe

• ca eva: and also

• niṣādān: Niṣādas (tribal/forest communities)

• api: even/also

• sarvaśaḥ: entirely, everywhere, on all sides

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) describing the deluge sequence within the Matsya Purana’s flood narrative

Entities Mentioned

• Hlādinī (river)
• Upakā (people/tribe)
• Niṣāda (forest/tribal communities)

Tags

• Pralaya
• Flood
• Sacred Rivers
• Geography
• Puranic Narrative

FAQs

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

It portrays dissolution in practical, geographic terms: waters surge eastward and submerge human settlements, indicating the spreading inundation characteristic of pralaya/flood episodes.

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

Indirectly, it underscores the vulnerability of populations during catastrophic floods—implying the need for foresight, protection of communities, and disaster-readiness that later dharmic guidance for rulers often emphasizes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No direct Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the main takeaway is the sanctity and directional flow of a named river, which can inform how sacred geography is treated in site-selection and tīrtha-oriented traditions.