Matsya Purana — Design and Splendour of Tripura: Maya’s Threefold Moving Fortress, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

आरामैश्च विहारैश्च तडागवटचत्वरैः सरोभिश्च सरिद्भिश्च वनैश्चोपवनैरपि //

Transliteration

ārāmaiśca vihāraiśca taḍāgavaṭacatvaraiḥ sarobhiśca saridbhiśca vanaiścopavanairapi //

Translation

« (Une cité/une région) doit être parée de jardins de plaisir et de lieux de promenade, avec des bassins, des banians et des places publiques ; avec des lacs et des rivières ; et aussi avec des forêts et des bosquets cultivés. »

Word by Word

• ārāmaiḥ: with pleasure-gardens/parks

• ca: and

• vihāraiḥ: with recreation grounds/prominent promenades

• ca: and

• taḍāga: tanks/reservoirs

• vaṭa: banyan trees

• catvaraiḥ: public squares/crossroads/plazas

• sarobhiḥ: with lakes

• ca: and

• saridbhiḥ: with rivers/streams

• ca: and

• vanaiḥ: with forests

• ca: and

• upavanaiḥ: with groves/ornamental orchards

• api: also/indeed

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, Vastu/rajadharma-style guidance)

Entities Mentioned

• Matsya
• Vaivasvata Manu

Tags

• Vastu Shastra
• Urban planning
• Water bodies
• Gardens
• Public spaces

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it focuses on sustaining orderly human life through well-planned landscapes—water sources, parks, and public spaces.

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

It reflects a king’s duty of loka-saṅgraha (public welfare): creating tanks, maintaining riversides, and providing gardens and squares that support health, economy, and civic life.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Architecturally, it is a Vastu-oriented checklist for settlement planning: integrate waterworks (taḍāga, saras, sarit), shaded nodes (vaṭa), and communal spaces (catvara) along with groves and forests.