Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ऐरावती सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा यस्माद्देशाद्विनिर्गता मेघश्यामं च तं देशं द्रुमखण्डैरनेकशः //

Transliteration

airāvatī saricchreṣṭhā yasmāddeśādvinirgatā meghaśyāmaṃ ca taṃ deśaṃ drumakhaṇḍairanekaśaḥ //

Translation

ശ്രേഷ്ഠമായ ഐരാവതീ നദി ഏതു ദേശത്തിൽ നിന്നു പുറപ്പെടുന്നുവോ, ആ ദേശം മേഘശ്യാമ വർണ്ണമുള്ളതായി പറയപ്പെടുന്നു; പല സ്ഥലങ്ങളിലും വൃക്ഷക്കൂട്ടങ്ങളും തോട്ടങ്ങളും കൊണ്ട് മൂടപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ऐरावती (airāvatī): the river Airāvatī

• सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा (saricchreṣṭhā): best/excellent among rivers

• यस्मात् (yasmāt): from which

• देशात् (deśāt): from the country/region

• विनिर्गता (vinirgatā): has flowed out/issued forth

• मेघश्यामम् (meghaśyāmam): dark like a rain-cloud

• च (ca): and

• तम् (tam): that

• देशम् (deśam): land/region

• द्रुमखण्डैः (drumakhaṇḍaiḥ): with clusters/groves of trees

• अनेकशः (anekaśaḥ): in many ways/at many places/abundantly

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) reporting the Purāṇic description (contextual sacred-geography narration)

Entities Mentioned

• Airavati (river)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Sacred Geography
• Rivers
• Landscape
• Desha-varnana

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it functions as sacred-geography, describing a river’s origin-region and the natural features (cloud-dark terrain, abundant groves).

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

Indirectly, it supports Purāṇic ideals of righteous settlement: prosperous regions are marked by water sources and forests, guiding kings in protecting rivers/woodlands and householders in choosing fertile, well-watered lands.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vāstu rule is stated, but the verse highlights auspicious site indicators—near a renowned river, with healthy tree-groves—often treated in Vāstu and tīrtha contexts as favorable for habitation and sacred activity.