Shloka 17

Matsya Purana — The Rite and Glory of Meru-Dāna: The Tenfold ‘Gift of Meru’ and Mountain-Offe...

Devanagari script

शुक्लाम्बराण्यम्बुधरावली स्यात् पूर्वेण पीतानि च दक्षिणेन वासांसि पश्चादथ कर्बुराणि रक्तानि चैवोत्तरतो घनाली //

Transliteration

śuklāmbarāṇyambudharāvalī syāt pūrveṇa pītāni ca dakṣiṇena vāsāṃsi paścādatha karburāṇi raktāni caivottarato ghanālī //

Translation

In the east there should be a massing like a line of rain-clouds, with white garments; in the south, yellow garments; in the west, variegated garments; and in the north, red garments—thus is the prescribed arrangement.

Word by Word

• śukla-ambarāṇi: white garments

• ambudharāvalī: a row/cluster of cloud-bearers (rain-cloud massing, cloud-like formation)

• syāt: should be/ought to be

• pūrveṇa: in the east/eastward

• pītāni: yellow (garments)

• ca: and

• dakṣiṇena: in the south/southward

• vāsāṃsi: garments/cloths

• paścāt: in the west/afterwards

• atha: then/and further

• karburāṇi: variegated, speckled, multicolored

• raktāni: red (garments)

• ca eva: and indeed

• uttarataḥ: in the north/northward

• ghana-ālī: dense cluster/compact row (also suggesting cloud-like compactness)

Speaker

• Sūta (narrating the Matsya Purana’s architectural/ritual prescriptions, ultimately attributed to Matsya’s instruction to Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Vastuvidya
• Dik (Directions)

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Directional Colors
• Ritual Procedure
• Temple Architecture
• Auspiciousness

FAQs

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

It does not describe Pralaya directly; instead, it preserves a Vastu/ritual principle: harmony is maintained by aligning colors and arrangements with the cardinal directions, reflecting cosmic order rather than dissolution.

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

For a king commissioning temples or public rites—and for householders performing direction-based worship—this verse functions as a practical dharmic guideline: choose and place ritual garments/materials according to direction to ensure auspiciousness and social-religious order.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It assigns direction-wise color prescriptions (east-white, south-yellow, west-variegated, north-red) and hints at cloud-like massing/formation, useful for arranging participants, textiles, banners, or decorative elements in temple rituals and Vastu-aligned layouts.