Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

महानिम्बैस्तथा निम्बैर् निर्गुण्डीभिर्हरिद्रुमैः देवदारुमहावृक्षैस् तथा कालेयकद्रुमैः //

Transliteration

mahānimbaistathā nimbair nirguṇḍībhirharidrumaiḥ devadārumahāvṛkṣais tathā kāleyakadrumaiḥ //

Translation

ఆ పవిత్ర ప్రాంగణం మహానింబ, నింబ; నిర్గుండీ పొదలు మరియు హరిద్రుమ (పీతకాష్ఠ) తో; ఎత్తైన దేవదారు మహావృక్షాలతో, అలాగే కాలేయక వృక్షాలతో కూడా నాటవలెను।

Word by Word

• mahā-nimbaiḥ: with great neem trees

• tathā: and also

• nimbaiḥ: with neem trees

• nirguṇḍībhiḥ: with nirguṇḍī (Vitex negundo) shrubs/trees

• haridrumaiḥ: with haridruma (‘yellow tree’, commonly understood as a turmeric-colored/haridra-associated tree)

• devadāru-mahā-vṛkṣaiḥ: with great devadāru (deodar cedar) trees

• tathā: likewise

• kāleyaka-drumaiḥ: with kāleyaka trees (fragrant/valuable timber associated with aromatic wood).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Mahānimba
• Nimba
• Nirguṇḍī
• Haridruma
• Devadāru
• Kāleyaka

Tags

• Vastuvidya
• Temple precinct
• Sacred trees
• Auspicious planting
• Ritual purity

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya; it gives Vastu-oriented guidance on auspicious vegetation for sacred/ritual spaces, emphasizing purity, protection, and fragrance rather than cosmology.

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

It frames a practical dharmic duty: maintaining sanctified public and domestic religious spaces. A king supports temple precinct planning; a householder applies the same principle to gardens near shrines—planting protective, medicinal, and ritually acceptable trees.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

It specifies recommended species for the temple/holy precinct (angana/udyāna), aligning landscape choices with Vastu and ritual cleanliness—using trees valued for auspiciousness, medicinal utility, and sacred ambiance.