Shloka 72

Matsya Purana — Kailasa

Devanagari script

उद्भिदान्युदकान्यत्र प्रवहन्ति सरिद्वराः बलाहकश्च ऋषभो चक्रो मैनाक एव च //

Transliteration

udbhidānyudakānyatra pravahanti saridvarāḥ balāhakaśca ṛṣabho cakro maināka eva ca //

Translation

Here, excellent rivers flow forth like upwelling waters; they are known as Balāhaka, Ṛṣabha, Cakra, and also Maināka.

Word by Word

• udbhidāni: upwelling/spring-born (waters)

• udakāni: waters

• atra: here/in this region

• pravahanti: flow, run onward

• saridvarāḥ: best of rivers, eminent streams

• balāhakaḥ: Balāhaka (name of a river/stream)

• ca: and

• ṛṣabhaḥ: Ṛṣabha (name of a river/stream)

• cakraḥ: Cakra (name of a river/stream)

• mainākaḥ: Maināka (name of a river/stream or Maināka-associated watercourse)

• eva: indeed/also

• ca: and

Speaker

• Suta (Purana narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana’s sacred-geography catalogue (within the broader Manu–Matsya discourse framework)

Entities Mentioned

• Balāhaka
• Ṛṣabha
• Cakra
• Maināka

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Rivers
• Tirtha
• Pilgrimage
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not a Pralaya passage; it is a sacred-geography catalogue describing spring-born waters and naming notable rivers/streams in a particular region.

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

By identifying life-giving and sacred watercourses, it supports dharmic duties such as protecting waterways, establishing settlements responsibly, and performing tīrtha-related rites (bathing, offerings) at recognized rivers.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The mention of spring-fed flowing waters is relevant to Vastu and ritual practice: reliable water sources are auspicious for site selection, and named rivers function as tīrthas where purification rites and offerings are traditionally performed.