Matsya Purana — Description of Atri’s Hermitage: Sacred Grove Planning, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तदाश्रमं मनोहारि यत्र कामधरा धरा सुरमुख्योपयोगित्वाच् छाखिनां सफलाः फलाः //

Transliteration

tadāśramaṃ manohāri yatra kāmadharā dharā suramukhyopayogitvāc chākhināṃ saphalāḥ phalāḥ //

Translation

อาศรมแห่งนั้นชวนรื่นรมย์; ณ ที่นั้นแผ่นดินเองประหนึ่งกามธนูผู้บันดาลความปรารถนา และเพราะเป็นที่เกื้อกูลแม้แก่เหล่าเทพชั้นนำ ต้นไม้ทั้งหลายจึงออกผลอุดมยิ่ง

Word by Word

• tad-āśramam: that hermitage

• manohāri: mind-enchanting, delightful

• yatra: where

• kāma-dharā: wish-fulfilling (lit. bearing desires)

• dharā: the earth/ground

• sura-mukhya: the foremost among the gods

• upayogitvāt: because of being useful/serviceable

• śākhīnām: of the trees (lit. branch-possessors)

• sa-phalāḥ: fruit-laden, bearing fruit

• phalāḥ: fruits

Speaker

• Suta (narratorial voice describing the hermitage within the Matsya Purana’s discourse tradition)

Entities Mentioned

• Ashrama
• Dharā (Earth)
• Sura-mukhya (foremost gods)

Tags

• Ashrama
• Tirtha
• Sacred geography
• Divine abundance
• Puranic description

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it depicts a sanctified landscape where nature becomes extraordinarily fertile and “wish-fulfilling,” a typical Purāṇic sign of sacred presence rather than cosmic dissolution.

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

It implies that righteous stewardship—protecting holy places, supporting āśramas, and maintaining purity—results in prosperity and abundance, a core Matsya Purana ethic for rulers and householders alike.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually and in site-selection logic, such “kāmadharā dharā” (fertile, beneficent ground) is an auspicious marker—useful for choosing locations for āśramas, temples, and yajña-grounds in line with Matsya Purana’s broader sacred-site sensibility.