Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

वस्त्वेकसारा माहेन्द्री पुण्या हेमपरिष्कृता दक्षिणेन पुनर्मेरोर् मानसस्य तु पृष्ठतः //

Transliteration

vastvekasārā māhendrī puṇyā hemapariṣkṛtā dakṣiṇena punarmeror mānasasya tu pṛṣṭhataḥ //

Translation

The holy region called Māhendrī—excellent in its Vāstu-essence and adorned with gold—lies to the south of Meru, and to the rear (the western side) of Mount Mānasā.

Word by Word

• vastu-eka-sārā: having Vāstu as its single essence / chiefly Vāstu in character

• māhendrī: (the place/region) named Māhendrī

• puṇyā: sacred, meritorious

• hema-pariṣkṛtā: embellished/ornamented with gold

• dakṣiṇena: to the south

• punaḥ: again/further

• meror: of Meru (Mount Meru)

• mānasasya: of Mānasā (Mount/region named Mānasā)

• tu: indeed/and

• pṛṣṭhataḥ: from behind, at the rear side (often implying the western/back side relative to an orientation).

Speaker

• Suta Goswami (narrating the Matsya Purana’s description of sacred geography)

Entities Mentioned

• Meru
• Māhendrī
• Mānasā

Tags

• Vastu
• Sacred Geography
• Puranic Cosmography
• Directions
• Pilgrimage

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it is a cosmographic and Vāstu-oriented placement of a sacred region relative to Meru and Mānasā.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Matsya Purana’s broader ideal that settlements and sacred spaces should be founded with correct directional awareness (dakṣiṇa, pṛṣṭhataḥ), aiding righteous governance and orderly habitation.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It emphasizes Vāstu-based spatial orientation—locating a sacred place by cardinal direction and relative positioning—an approach used in temple siting, city planning, and pilgrimage mapping in Puranic Vastu traditions.