Shloka 20

Matsya Purana — Paurava Genealogy

Devanagari script

ऋक्षात्संवरणो जज्ञे कुरुः संवरणात् ततः यः प्रयागमतिक्रम्य कुरुक्षेत्रमकल्पयत् //

Transliteration

ṛkṣātsaṃvaraṇo jajñe kuruḥ saṃvaraṇāt tataḥ yaḥ prayāgamatikramya kurukṣetramakalpayat //

Translation

From Ṛkṣa was born Saṃvaraṇa, and from Saṃvaraṇa thereafter was born Kuru—he who, passing beyond Prayāga, established and laid out Kurukṣetra.

Word by Word

• ṛkṣāt: from Ṛkṣa

• saṃvaraṇaḥ: Saṃvaraṇa (a king)

• jajñe: was born

• kuruḥ: Kuru (progenitor of the Kurus)

• saṃvaraṇāt: from Saṃvaraṇa

• tataḥ: thereafter

• yaḥ: who

• prayāgam: Prayāga (Allahabad

• atikramya: having passed beyond

• kurukṣetram: Kurukṣetra (the Kuru field

• akalpayat: he arranged/established/laid out (founded, made fit as a kṣetra)

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu in the genealogy narrative)

Entities Mentioned

• Ṛkṣa
• Saṃvaraṇa
• Kuru
• Prayāga
• Kurukṣetra

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Kuru
• Kurukshetra
• Sacred Geography

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it records royal genealogy and the founding/sanctification of Kurukṣetra by King Kuru.

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

It highlights a king’s dharma to found and organize a kṣetra—supporting sacred spaces and social order—showing how righteous rulers shape geography into a recognized holy and cultural region.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key term akalpayat implies “to lay out/establish,” suggesting the formal delineation of a sacred field (kṣetra); while not a Vāstu rule, it reflects the Purāṇic idea of consecrating and defining a holy landscape.