Shloka 80

Matsya Purana — Glory of Tīrtha-Śrāddha: Best Times

Devanagari script

एतत्तीर्थेषु यच्छ्राद्धं तत्कोटिगुणमिष्यते यस्मात्तस्मात्प्रयत्नेन तीर्थे श्राद्धं समाचरेत् //

Transliteration

etattīrtheṣu yacchrāddhaṃ tatkoṭiguṇamiṣyate yasmāttasmātprayatnena tīrthe śrāddhaṃ samācaret //

Translation

Any śrāddha performed at sacred tīrthas is held to yield merit a koṭi-fold; therefore, for that very reason, one should earnestly perform śrāddha at a tīrtha.

Word by Word

• etat: this (very act/teaching)

• tīrtheṣu: at sacred fords/pilgrimage places

• yat: which/whatever

• chrāddham (śrāddham): ancestral rite offering (śrāddha)

• tat: that

• koṭi-guṇam: multiplied a crore times

• iṣyate: is held/considered (by tradition)

• yasmāt: because/since

• tasmāt: therefore

• prayatnena: with effort/earnestness

• tīrthe: at a tīrtha

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite

• samācaret: should duly perform/observe.

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in dialogue instruction to Vaivasvata Manu, typical frame of early Matsya Purana)

Entities Mentioned

• Tīrtha
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (ancestral spirits)

Tags

• Dharma
• Śrāddha
• Tīrtha
• Ritual Merit
• Pilgrimage

FAQs

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

This verse does not discuss pralaya directly; it focuses on ritual dharma, stating that śrāddha at a tīrtha yields exponentially greater merit.

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

It frames śrāddha as a required duty (especially for householders and rulers responsible for upholding dharma), advising deliberate effort to perform ancestral rites at sacred pilgrimage sites for heightened spiritual efficacy.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual rather than architectural: it highlights tīrtha-based performance of śrāddha as “koṭi-guṇa” (crore-fold) in fruit, encouraging pilgrimage-linked ancestral offerings.