Shloka 5

Matsya Purana — The Greatness and Procedure of the Sarva-Phala-Tyaga Vrata

Devanagari script

कूष्माण्डं मातुलिङ्गं च वार्ताकं पनसं तथा आम्रातकं कपित्थानि कलिङ्गमथ वालुकम् //

Transliteration

kūṣmāṇḍaṃ mātuliṅgaṃ ca vārtākaṃ panasaṃ tathā āmrātakaṃ kapitthāni kaliṅgamatha vālukam //

Translation

To the recommended list of produce are to be added: ash-gourd (winter melon), citron, eggplant, and jackfruit; as well as hog-plum, wood-apples, the kalinga melon, and the sand-melon.

Word by Word

• कूष्माण्डम्: ash-gourd / winter melon

• मातुलिङ्गम्: citron

• वार्ताकम्: eggplant / brinjal

• पनसम्: jackfruit

• तथा: and also

• आम्रातकम्: hog-plum (Spondias)

• कपित्थानि: wood-apples (kapittha fruits)

• कलिङ्गम्: kalinga melon / a type of watermelon

• अथ: then / moreover

• वालुकम्: sand-melon / a melon associated with sandy soil

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) relaying the Matsya Purana’s instruction (didactic catalog within the text)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Horticulture
• Garden planning
• Householder dharma
• Sacred plants

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss Pralaya; it is a practical catalog of recommended edible plants/fruits used in household and garden contexts.

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

By prescribing useful food plants, it aligns with householder welfare (gṛhastha) and, by extension, a king’s duty to support agrarian prosperity—ensuring nutrition, cultivation, and orderly settlement life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Indirectly, such lists support Vastu-oriented garden/orchard planning around homes and temples—selecting auspicious, useful species for cultivated spaces rather than describing building measurements.