Shloka 83

Matsya Purana — Narasimha’s Victory over Hiraṇyakaśipu and the Catalogue of Apocalyptic Omens

Devanagari script

षष्टिस्तत्र सहस्राणि पर्वतानां द्विजोत्तमाः तरुणादित्यसंकाशो मेरुस्तत्र महागिरिः //

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭistatra sahasrāṇi parvatānāṃ dvijottamāḥ taruṇādityasaṃkāśo merustatra mahāgiriḥ //

Translation

O best of the twice-born, there are sixty thousand mountains there; and among them stands the great mountain Meru, radiant like the newly risen sun.

Word by Word

• षष्टिः (ṣaṣṭiḥ): sixty

• तत्र (tatra): there/in that region

• सहस्राणि (sahasrāṇi): thousands

• पर्वतानाम् (parvatānām): of mountains

• द्विजोत्तमाः (dvijottamāḥ): O best among the twice-born (Brahmins)

• तरुण-आदित्य-संकाशः (taruṇa-āditya-saṃkāśaḥ): having the appearance/splendor of the young (rising) sun

• मेरुः (meruḥ): Meru (the cosmic mountain)

• तत्र (tatra): there

• महागिरिः (mahāgiriḥ): the great mountain.

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s cosmographic description to the sages (dvijas)

Entities Mentioned

• Meru
• Mountains (Parvatas)
• Dvijottama (address to Brahmins)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Sacred Geography
• Mount Meru
• Puranic Worldview
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it presents a cosmographic snapshot of the ordered universe, emphasizing the vast number of mountains and the central brilliance of Mount Meru.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purana’s worldview in which righteous rule and household life are aligned with cosmic order (ṛta/dharma); knowing sacred geography and Meru’s centrality frames pilgrimage, ritual orientation, and dharmic conduct.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Meru’s central, sun-like radiance is often echoed in temple symbolism and axial planning (cosmic center imagery), though this verse itself primarily states cosmography rather than explicit Vastu rules.