Shloka 1

Matsya Purana — Uma’s Austerities and the Slaying of the Deceiver Asura ĀḌi

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच देवीं सापश्यद् आयान्तीं सखीं मातुर्विभूषिताम् कुसुममोदिनीं नाम तस्य शैलस्य देवताम् //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca devīṃ sāpaśyad āyāntīṃ sakhīṃ māturvibhūṣitām kusumamodinīṃ nāma tasya śailasya devatām //

Translation

Sūta said: She then saw the goddess approaching—her mother’s adorned companion—named Kusumamodinī, the presiding deity of that mountain.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ uvāca: Sūta said

• devīm: the goddess

• sā: she

• apaśyat: saw

• āyāntīm: coming/approaching

• sakhīm: female friend/companion

• mātuḥ: of (her) mother

• vibhūṣitām: adorned/ornamented

• kusuma-modinīm: “she who delights in flowers / flower-fragrant one” (proper name)

• nāma: by name

• tasya: of that

• śailasya: mountain

• devatām: the deity/presiding divinity.

Speaker

• Sūta

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• Kusumamodinī
• Mountain deity (Śaila-devatā)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Devi
• Sacred geography
• Local deity
• Puranic narrative

FAQs

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

This verse does not address Pralaya; it introduces a local presiding deity of a mountain (śaila-devatā), reflecting the Purāṇic mapping of divine presence onto sacred landscapes.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Matsya Purāṇa’s broader ethic of honoring devas connected with place—encouraging rulers and householders to protect sacred sites and maintain worship of local deities tied to mountains, forests, and tīrthas.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The key ritual idea is “presiding deity of the mountain,” a concept used in temple-site sanctification: worship acknowledges the kṣetra/śaila-devatā before undertaking pilgrimage rites or establishing/serving shrines in that locale.