Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

पृथिव्या विस्तरं कृत्यं योजनैस्तं निबोधत तिस्रः कोट्यस्तु विस्तारात् संख्यातास्तु चतुर्दिशम् //

Transliteration

pṛthivyā vistaraṃ kṛtyaṃ yojanaistaṃ nibodhata tisraḥ koṭyastu vistārāt saṃkhyātāstu caturdiśam //

Translation

Now understand the earth’s extent as measured in yojanas: its expanse is reckoned as three koṭis, distributed in count toward the four directions.

Word by Word

• pṛthivyāḥ: of the earth

• vistaram: extent/expanse

• kṛtyam: as to be stated/laid down

• yojanaiḥ: in yojanas (a unit of distance)

• tam: that (measure)

• nibodhata: understand/learn

• tisraḥ: three

• koṭyaḥ: koṭis (crores/ten-millions

• tu: indeed

• vistārāt: in terms of expanse/from the extent

• saṃkhyātāḥ: reckoned/counted

• tu: and/indeed

• caturdiśam: toward the four quarters/directions.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (teaching Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Yojana
• Caturdiś (four directions)

Tags

• Cosmography
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic Measurements
• Bhuvana-Kosha
• Yojana

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing Pralaya; it belongs to cosmographic enumeration, giving a traditional Puranic measure of the earth’s extent in yojanas and framing it across the four directions.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Purana’s broader emphasis on ordered space and correct reckoning—useful for a king’s governance (mapping realms, boundaries, pilgrimage routes) and for householders who align ritual life with directional and spatial principles.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit cue is “caturdiśam” (four directions): Vastu and ritual layouts depend on cardinal orientation and proportional measurement; this verse provides the cosmological backdrop that sacred architecture mirrors through measured, directionally aligned planning.