Matsya Purana — Dynastic Genealogies: Paurava–Anu Lines, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

पाण्ड्यश्च केरलश्चैव चोलः कर्णस्तथैव च तेषां जनपदाः स्फीताः पाण्ड्याश्चोलाः सकेरलाः //

Transliteration

pāṇḍyaśca keralaścaiva colaḥ karṇastathaiva ca teṣāṃ janapadāḥ sphītāḥ pāṇḍyāścolāḥ sakeralāḥ //

Translation

पाण्ड्य व केरल, चोल आणि कर्ण—यांचे जनपद समृद्ध आहेत; पाण्ड्य व चोलांची समृद्ध भूमी केरलासह (प्रसिद्ध) आहे.

Word by Word

• पाण्ड्यः (pāṇḍyaḥ): the Pāṇḍya people/kingdom

• केरलः (keralaḥ): the Kerala people/region

• च एव (ca eva): and indeed

• चोलः (colaḥ): the Cola people/kingdom

• कर्णः (karṇaḥ): Karṇa/Karṇas (a named people/region, traditionally identified among southern janapadas)

• तथा एव (tathā eva): likewise

• तेषाम् (teṣām): of them

• जनपदाः (janapadāḥ): provinces/territorial states

• स्फीताः (sphītāḥ): thriving, prosperous, well-established

• पाण्ड्याः (pāṇḍyāḥ): the Pāṇḍyas (plural)

• चोलाः (colāḥ): the Colas (plural)

• सकेरलाः (sa-keralāḥ): together with the Keralas

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) describing Bharata-varsha janapadas in the Matsya Purana’s geographical catalogue

Entities Mentioned

• Pāṇḍya
• Kerala
• Cola (Chola)
• Karṇa (Karṇas)

Tags

• Bhuvanakosha
• Geography
• Janapadas
• Ancient Indian genealogy
• Dynasties

FAQs

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

Nothing directly: this verse is part of the Matsya Purana’s geographical catalogue, listing prosperous southern janapadas, not the pralaya narrative.

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

Indirectly, it frames the ideal of a ‘sphīta’ (flourishing) janapada—implying good governance, stability, and prosperity as the expected outcome of righteous rule, though no explicit rajadharma instruction appears in this verse.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No explicit Vastu, temple-building, or ritual rule is stated; the verse functions as regional enumeration within Bharata-varsha’s descriptive geography.