Shloka 11

Matsya Purana — Glory of Prayaga: The Fruit of the Anashaka Fast and the Merit of the Yamuna

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञात्वा तु राजेन्द्र सदा सेवापरो भवेत् अश्रद्दधानाः पुरुषाः पापोपहतचेतसः न प्राप्नुवन्ति तत्स्थानं प्रयागं देवरक्षितम् //

Transliteration

evaṃ jñātvā tu rājendra sadā sevāparo bhavet aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ pāpopahatacetasaḥ na prāpnuvanti tatsthānaṃ prayāgaṃ devarakṣitam //

Translation

Knowing this, O best of kings, one should always remain devoted to service. Men who lack faith—whose minds are struck down by sin—do not attain that sacred place: Prayāga, protected by the gods.

Word by Word

• एवं (evaṃ): thus

• ज्ञात्वा (jñātvā): having known/understood

• तु (tu): indeed

• राजेन्द्र (rājendra): O king of kings/best of kings

• सदा (sadā): always

• सेवा-परः (sevā-paraḥ): devoted to service

• भवेत् (bhavet): should be/should become

• अश्रद्दधानाः (aśraddadhānāḥ): without faith

• पुरुषाः (puruṣāḥ): people/men

• पाप-उपहत-चेतसः (pāpa-upahata-cetasaḥ): those whose consciousness is injured/overpowered by sin

• न (na): not

• प्राप्नुवन्ति (prāpnuvanti): attain/reach

• तत्-स्थानम् (tat-sthānam): that place

• प्रयागम् (prayāgam): Prayāga (the sacred confluence)

• देव-रक्षितम् (deva-rakṣitam): guarded/protected by the gods

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in instruction to a king, within a tirtha-mahatmya discourse)

Entities Mentioned

• Prayaga
• Devas (gods)

Tags

• Tirtha
• Prayaga
• Shraddha (Faith)
• Seva (Service)
• Punya-Papa (Merit and Sin)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it teaches tirtha-mahatmya ethics—faith (śraddhā) and service (sevā) as prerequisites for reaching sacred Prayāga.

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

Addressing “rājendra,” it frames an ideal ruler/householder as continually service-oriented and faithful; inner purity is presented as the real qualification for receiving the fruit of pilgrimage.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vastu or temple-rule detail appears here; the ritual takeaway is that tirtha-yātrā to Prayāga is efficacious only when undertaken with śraddhā and a life of sevā.