Shloka 19
Matsya Purana — Śiva–Pārvatī Quarrel and Pārvatī’s Resolve for Austerity to Attain Gaurī-hood
काठिन्याङ्कस्त्वमस्मभ्यं वनेभ्यो बहुधा गता कुटिलत्वं च वर्त्मभ्यो दुःसेव्यत्वं हिमादपि संक्रान्तिं सर्वदैवेति तन्वङ्गि हिमशैलराट् //
kāṭhinyāṅkastvamasmabhyaṃ vanebhyo bahudhā gatā kuṭilatvaṃ ca vartmabhyo duḥsevyatvaṃ himādapi saṃkrāntiṃ sarvadaiveti tanvaṅgi himaśailarāṭ //
O slender-limbed one, from the forests you have often brought us the mark of hardship; from the paths, their crookedness; from the cold itself, the difficulty of being approached and endured. Thus, at every saṅkrānti—the gods’ transitions—the sovereign of snowy mountains, Himavat, is remembered as the source of such trials.
FAQs
This verse does not describe Pralaya; it focuses on sacred geography and the lived austerity of Himalayan regions—hard forests, difficult paths, and severe cold—especially notable around calendrical transitions (saṅkrānti).
It implicitly frames pilgrimage and observance of sacred times (like saṅkrānti) as demanding disciplines; for householders, it underscores endurance and proper timing of rites, and for rulers it reflects the ideal of supporting safe routes and religious observances tied to seasonal/solar transitions.
The ritual cue is saṅkrānti—an auspicious solar transition often used to time vows, baths, gifts, and pilgrimages; architecturally, the verse is not about Vāstu, but it contextualizes why Himalayan shrines and routes are treated as rigorous, merit-bearing sacred spaces.