Shloka 91

Matsya Purana — Glory of Tīrtha-Śrāddha: Best Times

Devanagari script

*सूत उवाच पुण्यं पवित्रमायुष्यं सर्वपापविनाशनम् पुरा मलये न कथितं तीर्थश्राद्धानुकीर्तनम् //

Transliteration

*sūta uvāca puṇyaṃ pavitramāyuṣyaṃ sarvapāpavināśanam purā malaye na kathitaṃ tīrthaśrāddhānukīrtanam //

Translation

Sūta said: “This account of the śrāddha rite performed at the holy fords (tīrthas) is meritorious, purifying, life-prolonging, and destructive of all sins. Formerly, on Mount Malaya, this narration of tīrtha-śrāddha was not spoken.”

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ uvāca: Sūta said

• puṇyam: meritorious, conferring religious merit

• pavitram: purifying, sanctifying

• āyuṣyam: promoting longevity/health

• sarva-pāpa-vināśanam: destroying all sins

• purā: formerly, in ancient times

• malaye: on/at Malaya (the Malaya mountain/region)

• na: not

• kathitam: spoken, narrated, taught

• tīrtha-śrāddha: śrāddha performed at a tīrtha (holy place/ford)

• anukīrtanam: subsequent narration, recounting, proclamation (of its virtues/procedure)

Speaker

• Sūta (Sūta Uvāca)

Entities Mentioned

• Sūta
• Malaya (Malaya mountain)
• Tīrtha
• Śrāddha

Tags

• Tirtha
• Shraddha
• Ritual
• Punya
• Purification

FAQs

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

This verse does not address pralaya; it emphasizes ritual merit—purification, longevity, and the removal of sin—through tīrtha-śrāddha and its recitation.

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

It supports the householder’s dharma of honoring ancestors through śrāddha, especially at tīrthas, presenting it as a high-merit act that purifies the performer and is framed as a recommended religious practice.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The significance is ritual: tīrtha-śrāddha (ancestral offerings performed at holy places) and the value of anukīrtana—publicly recounting/teaching its virtues and procedure—as a sin-destroying, sanctifying act.