Shloka 53

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

धीवरानृषिकांश्चैव तथा नलिमुखानपि केकरानेककर्णांश्च किरातानपि चैव हि //

Transliteration

dhīvarānṛṣikāṃścaiva tathā nalimukhānapi kekarānekakarṇāṃśca kirātānapi caiva hi //

Translation

And also the Dhīvaras, the fisherfolk, the Ṛṣikas, as well as the Nalimukhas; likewise the Kekaras, the Ekakarṇas, the ‘one-eared’, and indeed the Kirātas too.

Word by Word

• dhīvarān: fisherfolk/boatmen

• ṛṣikān: the Ṛṣika people/tribe

• caiva: and also

• tathā: likewise

• nalimukhān: the Nalimukha people (lit. 'reed-/tube-faced', a tribal epithet)

• api: also/even

• kekarān: the Kekara people (regional/tribal name)

• ekakarṇān: 'one-eared' people (a tribal epithet)

• kirātān: Kirātas (mountain/forest tribes, often hunters)

• caiva hi: and indeed/assuredly.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s catalogue-style listing (traditional frame narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Dhivara
• Rishika
• Nalimukha
• Kekara
• Ekakarna
• Kirata

Tags

• Ancient tribes
• Puranic geography
• Ethnography
• Genealogy context
• Itihasa-Purana catalogues

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it functions as an ethnographic/geographical catalogue, naming communities (e.g., Kirātas, Dhīvaras) within the Purana’s broader mapping of peoples.

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

Indirectly, such catalogues inform a king’s worldview of diverse janapadas and communities—useful for governance, protection, taxation, and diplomacy—by acknowledging varied social groups (fisherfolk, forest tribes, regional peoples).

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated in this verse; it is primarily a list of peoples. Its practical takeaway is contextual—recognizing regional diversity that later texts may correlate with local rites, materials, and temple-building traditions.