Shloka 97

Matsya Purana — Solar–Lunar Motions

Devanagari script

उत्तरं यदगस्त्यस्य शृङ्गं देवर्षिसेवितम् पितृयानः स्मृतः पन्था वैश्वानरपथाद्बहिः //

Transliteration

uttaraṃ yadagastyasya śṛṅgaṃ devarṣisevitam pitṛyānaḥ smṛtaḥ panthā vaiśvānarapathādbahiḥ //

Translation

That northern peak of Agastya, revered and frequented by the divine seers, is remembered as the Path of the Ancestors (Pitṛyāna), lying beyond the route called the Vaiśvānara-path.

Word by Word

• uttaram: northern

• yat: which/that

• agastyasya: of Agastya

• śṛṅgam: peak, summit

• devarṣi-sevitam: served/visited by divine sages

• pitṛyānaḥ: the ancestral path (route of the Pitṛs)

• smṛtaḥ: is remembered/considered

• panthā: path, way

• vaiśvānara-pathāt: from/than the Vaiśvānara-path

• bahiḥ: outside, beyond

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Agastya
• Devarṣis
• Pitṛyāna
• Vaiśvānara

Tags

• Sacred geography
• Pitṛyāna
• Cosmology
• Afterlife paths
• Matsya Purana cosmography

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya directly; it maps a cosmological route (Pitṛyāna) used to describe post-death movement in the ordered universe, implying a structured cosmos that persists across cycles.

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

By naming Pitṛyāna (the ancestral path), the verse implicitly supports the householder’s obligations to the Pitṛs—especially śrāddha and ancestral rites—since such duties are traditionally linked with the ancestral realm and its pathways.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights Pitṛyāna—reinforcing the importance of śrāddha/ancestor-offerings; architecturally, it has no direct Vāstu rule, but it belongs to the Purāṇic sacred-geography framework often used to sanctify pilgrimage and ritual orientation.