Shloka 18

Matsya Purana — Yayāti–Aṣṭaka Dialogue: Seniority

Devanagari script

तथावसं नन्दने कामरूपी संवत्सराणामयुतं शतानाम् सहाप्सरोभिर्विचरन्पुण्यगन्धान् पश्यन्नगान् पुष्पितांश्चारुरूपान् //

Transliteration

tathāvasaṃ nandane kāmarūpī saṃvatsarāṇāmayutaṃ śatānām sahāpsarobhirvicaranpuṇyagandhān paśyannagān puṣpitāṃścārurūpān //

Translation

Thus he lived in Nandana, able to assume forms at will, for a million years; roaming there with the Apsarās, he beheld the fragrant, meritorious groves and the lovely mountains covered in blossoms.

Word by Word

• tathā: thus

• āvasaṃ: (he) dwelt/lived

• nandane: in Nandana (Indra’s celestial garden)

• kāma-rūpī: one who can take any desired form (shape-shifter)

• saṃvatsarāṇām: of years

• ayutam: ten-thousand

• śatānām: of hundreds (i.e., 100 × 10,000 = 1,000,000)

• saha: together with

• apsarobhiḥ: with Apsarās (celestial nymphs)

• vicaran: roaming/wandering

• puṇya-gandhān: having auspicious/holy fragrance

• paśyan: seeing/beholding

• agān: mountains

• puṣpitān: flowered/in bloom

• cāru-rūpān: beautiful in form/lovely-looking

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana account (descriptive narration within the dialogue tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Nandana
• Apsaras
• Indra (implied by Nandana-vana)

Tags

• Svarga
• Nandana-vana
• Apsaras
• Karma-phala
• Puranic cosmography

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it depicts Svarga (heaven), emphasizing the reward-like experience of Nandana-vana—suggesting the Purāṇic theme of karma-phala rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

Indirectly, it supports the Matsya Purana’s ethical framework: righteous conduct and merit (puṇya) are portrayed as leading to refined enjoyments and elevated realms, reinforcing dharma as the basis of desirable outcomes.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu or ritual procedure is stated; the verse functions as sacred geography/cosmography—describing idealized groves and landscapes that later Purāṇic and Vāstu texts often treat as models of auspicious, fragrant, flower-filled sacred environments.