Shloka 19

Matsya Purana — The Cave-Sanctuary: Jewel-Lake

Devanagari script

सुखोष्णं चैव तत्तोयं स्नानाच्छीतविनाशनम् वैडूर्यस्य शिला मध्ये सरसस्तस्य शोभना //

Transliteration

sukhoṣṇaṃ caiva tattoyaṃ snānācchītavināśanam vaiḍūryasya śilā madhye sarasastasya śobhanā //

Translation

The water there is pleasantly warm, and bathing in it destroys ailments born of cold. In the midst of that lovely lake lies a slab of vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gemstone), adding to its splendor.

Word by Word

• सुखोष्णम् (sukhoṣṇam): pleasantly warm

• च एव (ca eva): and indeed

• तत् तोयम् (tat toyam): that water

• स्नानात् (snānāt): from bathing

• शीत-विनाशनम् (śīta-vināśanam): destroyer of cold-related afflictions

• वैडूर्यस्य (vaiḍūryasya): of vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gemstone)

• शिला (śilā): slab/stone

• मध्ये (madhye): in the middle

• सरसः (sarasaḥ): of the lake

• तस्य (tasya): of that

• शोभना (śobhanā): beautiful/splendid.

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s account, describing a sacred tīrtha)

Entities Mentioned

• Vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gemstone)
• Sacred lake (sarasa)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Snana
• Healing
• Sacred geography
• Pilgrimage

FAQs

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

This verse is not about pralaya; it belongs to a tīrtha-description section, emphasizing the sanctity and beneficial properties of a sacred lake’s waters.

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

It supports the householder’s dharma of maintaining bodily purity and performing tīrtha-snānā (ritual bathing) for health and religious merit—typical Purāṇic guidance for disciplined living.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights snāna-phala (the fruit of bathing) and the sanctified landscape; the mention of a gemstone slab suggests a revered focal feature within the tīrtha, akin to marked sacred spots in pilgrimage-site layout.