Shloka 44

Matsya Purana — Ila–Sudyumna Episode and the Expansion of the Ikṣvāku

Devanagari script

तस्य पुत्रो दिलीपस् तु दिलीपात्तु भगीरथः येन भागीरथी गङ्गा तपः कृत्वावतारिता //

Transliteration

tasya putro dilīpas tu dilīpāttu bhagīrathaḥ yena bhāgīrathī gaṅgā tapaḥ kṛtvāvatāritā //

Translation

His son was Dilīpa; and from Dilīpa was born Bhagīratha—by whose austerities (tapas) the Gaṅgā, famed as Bhāgīrathī, was brought down to the earth.

Word by Word

• tasya: of him (his)

• putraḥ: son

• dilīpaḥ: Dilīpa (name of a king)

• tu: indeed/and

• dilīpāt: from Dilīpa

• bhagīrathaḥ: Bhagīratha (name of a king)

• yena: by whom

• bhāgīrathī: (the Gaṅgā) called Bhāgīrathī

• gaṅgā: the river Gaṅgā

• tapaḥ: austerity, penance

• kṛtvā: having performed

• avatāritā: caused to descend/brought down

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (in discourse to Vaivasvata Manu)

Entities Mentioned

• Dilipa
• Bhagiratha
• Ganga
• Bhagirathi

Tags

• Dynasties
• Genealogy
• Ganga-Avatara
• Tapas
• Puranic History

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it highlights sacred history and the cosmic sanctification of the earth through Gaṅgā’s descent, which in Purāṇic thought supports purification and renewal after periods of decline.

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

Bhagīratha exemplifies rājadharma: a king undertakes severe tapas not for private gain but for the welfare of the realm and ancestors, modeling self-discipline and public-spirited responsibility.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The verse points to ritual significance: Gaṅgā’s descent establishes her as a supreme purifier, grounding later practices such as tīrtha-snān (sacred bathing), ancestral rites, and consecratory ablutions where Gaṅgā-water is invoked.