Shloka 66

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

सरो विष्णुपदं नाम निषधे पर्वतोत्तमे यस्मादग्रे प्रभवति गन्धर्वानुकुले च ते //

Transliteration

saro viṣṇupadaṃ nāma niṣadhe parvatottame yasmādagre prabhavati gandharvānukule ca te //

Translation

In Niṣadha, on that excellent mountain, there is a lake called Viṣṇupada; from it, in ancient times, a manifestation arose, and it is also a place favorable to the Gandharvas.

Word by Word

• saraḥ/saro: lake

• viṣṇupadam: Viṣṇu’s Footprint/Viṣṇu’s sacred step (name of a tīrtha)

• nāma: named/called

• niṣadhe: in Niṣadha (region/mountain)

• parvata-uttame: on the best of mountains

• yasmāt: from which

• agre: formerly/at the beginning/in ancient times

• prabhavati: arises/comes forth/manifests

• gandharva-anukūle: favorable/pleasant to the Gandharvas

• ca: and

• te: that/indeed (emphatic particle in context).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing a tīrtha within the Matsya Purana’s sacred-geography passage

Entities Mentioned

• Viṣṇu (Viṣṇupada)
• Niṣadha
• Gandharvas

Tags

• Tirtha Mahatmya
• Sacred Geography
• Vishnu
• Pilgrimage
• Puranic Places

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it functions as tīrtha-māhātmya, identifying a sacred lake named Viṣṇupada and noting its ancient-origin sanctity and special association with Gandharvas.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic ethic of dharma through pilgrimage and reverence to sacred sites; kings and householders are encouraged to protect tīrthas and undertake or sponsor yātrā as meritorious public and personal religious duty.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, the focus is on a named sacred water-body (Viṣṇupada-saras) suitable for tīrtha rites such as bathing and offerings; no explicit Vāstu or temple-construction rule is stated in this verse.