Shloka 40

Matsya Purana — Maya’s War-Counsel to the Danavas and the Moonlit Revels in Tripura

Devanagari script

अम्लानमालान्वितसुन्दरीणां पर्याय एषो ऽस्ति च हर्षितानाम् श्रूयन्ति वाचः कलधौतकल्पा वापीषु चान्ये कलहंसशब्दाः //

Transliteration

amlānamālānvitasundarīṇāṃ paryāya eṣo 'sti ca harṣitānām śrūyanti vācaḥ kaladhautakalpā vāpīṣu cānye kalahaṃsaśabdāḥ //

Translation

This indeed is the delightful scene of joyous maidens adorned with unfading garlands: their voices—gleaming like refined gold—are heard, and in the stepwells and reservoirs the calls of other swans resound.

Word by Word

• amlāna-mālā-anvita: adorned with unfading garlands

• sundarīṇām: of beautiful women/maidens

• paryāyaḥ: a scene/sequence, recurring spectacle

• eṣaḥ asti: this indeed is/exists

• ca: and

• harṣitānām: of the delighted/joyful

• śrūyante: are heard

• vācaḥ: voices/speech

• kaladhauta-kalpāḥ: resembling refined gold (bright, pure, lustrous)

• vāpīṣu: in reservoirs/stepwells/tanks

• ca: and

• anye: other/elsewhere

• kala-haṃsa-śabdāḥ: the gentle calls/sounds of swans (or waterfowl).

Speaker

• Likely Sūta (narrative description within the Matsya Purana’s Vāstu/Nagara-varṇana passages; not a direct injunction, but scenic depiction)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Nagara-varnana
• Vapi
• Sacred Waterworks
• Auspicious Omens

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it depicts an auspicious, thriving civic environment—joyful people, ornamentation, and lively reservoirs—typical of a well-ordered settlement.

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

Indirectly, it reflects the ideal outcome of righteous governance and household prosperity: public waterworks (vāpī) maintained, social life flourishing, and a refined, auspicious atmosphere in the community.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key Vāstu cue is the vāpī (stepwell/tank): well-designed and maintained water-reservoirs are markers of an auspicious town, supporting both practical water needs and the sacred aesthetics of a temple-city soundscape.