Shloka 16

Matsya Purana — Śrāddha Procedure: Types

Devanagari script

कृतघ्नान्नास्तिकांस् तद्वन् म्लेच्छदेशनिवासिनः त्रिशङ्कुर् बर्बरद्राववीतद्रविडकोङ्कणान् //

Transliteration

kṛtaghnānnāstikāṃs tadvan mlecchadeśanivāsinaḥ triśaṅkur barbaradrāvavītadraviḍakoṅkaṇān //

Translation

Likewise, he (Triśaṅku) drove away the ungrateful (kṛtaghna) and the unbelievers (nāstika), as well as those dwelling in mleccha lands—including the Barbaras, Drāva-vītas, Draviḍas, and Koṅkaṇas.

Word by Word

• कृतघ्नान्: the ungrateful/traitorous

• नास्तिकान्: unbelievers/deniers of Vedic authority

• तद्वत्: likewise/in the same manner

• म्लेच्छ-देश-निवासिनः: inhabitants of foreign/non-Vedic regions

• त्रिशङ्कुः: (King) Triśaṅku

• बर्बर: Barbaras (a people/tribal group, often classed as mleccha in Purāṇic lists)

• द्राववीत: Drāva-vītas/Drāvavītas (a regional/ethnic designation in Purāṇic catalogues)

• द्रविड: Draviḍas (people of Drāviḍa region)

• कोङ्कणान्: Koṅkaṇas (people of the Konkan coastal region)

Speaker

• Suta (Purāṇic narrator) describing traditional royal/people classifications within the Matsya Purana’s early chapters

Entities Mentioned

• Triśaṅku
• Mleccha-deśa (non-Vedic regions)
• Barbaras
• Drāva-vītas
• Draviḍas
• Koṅkaṇas

Tags

• Genealogy
• Ethnography
• Kingship
• Dharma
• Mleccha

FAQs

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

Nothing directly—this verse is not about pralaya; it is a Purāṇic catalogue-style statement about peoples/regions and a king (Triśaṅku) expelling groups labeled as nāstika or mleccha-dwellers.

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

It reflects a Purāṇic ideal of kingship where the ruler is portrayed as protecting Vedic social order—rewarding loyalty and excluding those seen as hostile to dharma (here framed as ‘kṛtaghna’ and ‘nāstika’), though the labels are culture-specific to the text’s worldview.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

None is stated in this verse; it is a regional/ethnic listing rather than a Vastu, temple-building, or ritual instruction.