Shloka 10

Matsya Purana — Purūravas Beholds the Divine Himalayan River

Devanagari script

हंससारससंघुष्टां जलजैरुपशोभिताम् आवर्तनाभिगम्भीरां द्वीपोरुजघनस्थलीम् //

Transliteration

haṃsasārasasaṃghuṣṭāṃ jalajairupaśobhitām āvartanābhigambhīrāṃ dvīporujaghanasthalīm //

Translation

Resounding with the calls of swans and cranes, adorned with aquatic growths, and deep with swirling eddies, that island-land had broad, ample slopes and lowlands.

Word by Word

• हंस (haṃsa): swan

• सारस (sārasa): crane

• संघुष्टा (saṃghuṣṭā): filled with sound/resounding

• जलजैः (jalajaiḥ): with water-born things (aquatic plants/creatures)

• उपशोभिताम् (upaśobhitām): beautified/adorned

• आवर्तन (āvartana): whirlpool/eddy

• अभिगम्भीराम् (abhigambhīrām): very deep/profound

• द्वीप (dvīpa): island/river-island/landmass

• उरु (uru): broad, wide

• जघनस्थली (jaghanasthalī): low-lying ground/hip-like slope, the lower tract of land

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) recounting the Matsya Purana’s description (likely within a dialogue frame where Matsya instructs Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Hamsa (swan)
• Sarasa (crane)
• Dvipa (island)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred geography
• Landscape
• Vastu context
• Nature imagery

FAQs

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

This verse is descriptive rather than cosmogonic: it portrays an auspicious watery landscape (eddies, aquatic life, water-birds), imagery that can echo Purāṇic flood-and-water symbolism but does not directly teach Pralaya doctrine here.

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

It supports the practical ethic of choosing and protecting fertile, water-rich lands: a king safeguards such regions and a householder values clean water, biodiversity, and stable terrain—markers of prosperity and dharmic settlement.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

In Vāstu-oriented reading, the verse lists favorable site indicators—pleasant natural soundscape (swans/cranes), water abundance, and substantial landforms—useful for selecting a sacred or habitable location near water, while also warning that deep eddies imply strong currents requiring careful planning.