Shloka 68

Matsya Purana — Glory of Tīrtha-Śrāddha: Best Times

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मावर्तं कुशावर्तं हयतीर्थं तथैव च पिण्डारकं च विख्यातं शङ्खोद्धारं तथैव च //

Transliteration

brahmāvartaṃ kuśāvartaṃ hayatīrthaṃ tathaiva ca piṇḍārakaṃ ca vikhyātaṃ śaṅkhoddhāraṃ tathaiva ca //

Translation

(To be known as sacred pilgrimage places are) Brahmāvarta, Kuśāvarta, and Hayatīrtha; also the renowned Piṇḍāraka, and likewise Śaṅkhoddhāra.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मावर्तम् (brahmāvartam): Brahmāvarta, the sacred region associated with Brahmā and Vedic tradition

• कुशावर्तम् (kuśāvartam): Kuśāvarta, a holy ford/whirlpool-like sacred spot

• हयतीर्थम् (hayatīrtham): Hayatīrtha, the ‘Horse’ sacred ford (a tirtha named for a horse-related legend/rite)

• तथैव च (tathaiva ca): and likewise/also

• पिण्डारकम् (piṇḍārakam): Piṇḍāraka, a famous tirtha connected with piṇḍa-offerings for ancestors

• च (ca): and

• विख्यातम् (vikhyātam): well-known/renowned

• शङ्खोद्धारम् (śaṅkhoddhāram): Śaṅkhoddhāra, ‘the raising/recovery of the conch,’ a tirtha named from a conch-related sacred episode

• तथैव च (tathaiva ca): and likewise/also

Speaker

• Suta (narrator) relaying Matsya Purana’s tirtha-listing context

Entities Mentioned

• Brahmavarta
• Kushavarta
• Hayatirtha
• Pindaraka
• Shankhoddhara

Tags

• Tirtha
• Pilgrimage
• Sacred Geography
• Ritual Merit
• Matsya Purana

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya; it functions as a sacred-geography catalogue, naming tirthas whose visitation and remembrance are traditionally said to confer religious merit.

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

By listing tirthas, it supports the householder/kingly duty of dharma through pilgrimage, charitable acts, and rites at sanctified places—especially practices like śrāddha and piṇḍa-offerings implied by the fame of Piṇḍāraka.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The emphasis is ritual rather than architectural: these named tirthas are destinations for bathing, vows, and ancestral rites; Piṇḍāraka in particular signals śrāddha/piṇḍa ritual importance, while Śaṅkhoddhāra indicates a site memorializing a sacred conch-related episode.