Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

एवं ज्ञानेन सम्पूर्णः सदा भवति भोगवान् तारिताः पितरस्तेन नरकात्प्रपितामहाः //

Transliteration

evaṃ jñānena sampūrṇaḥ sadā bhavati bhogavān tāritāḥ pitarastena narakātprapitāmahāḥ //

Translation

Thus, one perfected by this knowledge ever becomes a true enjoyer of life; by him the Fathers (Pitṛs)—indeed even the great-grandfathers—are delivered from hell.

Word by Word

• एवं (evaṃ): thus, in this manner

• ज्ञानेन (jñānena): by knowledge, through sacred/spiritual understanding

• सम्पूर्णः (sampūrṇaḥ): complete, perfected, fully endowed

• सदा (sadā): always, ever

• भवति (bhavati): becomes, comes to be

• भोगवान् (bhogavān): one possessing enjoyment/prosperity, a true enjoyer (endowed with bhoga)

• तारिताः (tāritāḥ): carried across, delivered, rescued

• पितरः (pitaraḥ): the Pitṛs, ancestral fathers

• तेन (tena): by him, through that person/that means

• नरकात् (narakāt): from hell, from a hellish state

• प्रपितामहाः (prapitāmahāḥ): great-grandfathers/forefathers (ancestors of earlier generations)

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (Vishnu) instructing Vaivasvata Manu (contextual attribution typical to this doctrinal section)

Entities Mentioned

• Pitrs (ancestors)
• Naraka (hell)

Tags

• Jnana
• Pitru-tarana
• Dharma
• Punya
• Afterlife

FAQs

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

This verse is not about cosmic creation or pralaya; it teaches a karmic-ethical result: sacred knowledge grants personal well-being and also uplifts one’s ancestral line from suffering states such as Naraka.

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

It supports the householder/kingly ideal that learning and right understanding are not merely personal virtues: they generate merit that benefits the family lineage, aligning with Pitṛ-related duties (ancestral responsibility) upheld in Purāṇic dharma.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No Vāstu or iconographic rule is stated here; the ritual takeaway is Pitṛ-benefit—knowledge (and the dharmic life grounded in it) is presented as a means of ancestral deliverance.