Shloka 14

Matsya Purana — Prayaga Mahatmya Begins: Yudhishthira’s Remorse

Devanagari script

अचिरेणैव कालेन मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः सम्प्राप्तो हास्तिनपुरं राजद्वारे ह्यतिष्ठत //

Transliteration

acireṇaiva kālena mārkaṇḍeyo mahātapāḥ samprāpto hāstinapuraṃ rājadvāre hyatiṣṭhata //

Translation

Before long, the great ascetic Mārkaṇḍeya arrived at Hāstinapura and stood waiting at the king’s gate.

Word by Word

• अचिरेण एव कालेन: in a short time/soon

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya

• महातपाः: great ascetic (one of intense austerity)

• सम्प्राप्तः: having arrived/reached

• हास्तिनपुरम्: Hastinapura

• राजद्वारे: at the king’s gate/royal doorway

• हि: indeed

• अतिष्ठत: stood/remained waiting

Speaker

• Sūta (Purāṇic narrator) / Narrative voice describing events

Entities Mentioned

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Hāstinapura

Tags

• Dynasties
• Sages
• Royal Court
• Itihasa
• Pilgrimage/Arrival

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe Pralaya directly; it sets a narrative scene by introducing the sage Mārkaṇḍeya arriving at a royal capital, typically as a prelude to instruction, prophecy, or dharmic counsel.

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

By placing a great ṛṣi at the king’s gate, the verse implies the royal duty of honoring and receiving sages—hospitality (satkāra), reverence to tapasvins, and readiness to hear dharma—core expectations of righteous kingship in Purāṇic ethics.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The explicit detail is the “rājadvāra” (royal gate), highlighting the palace/city threshold as a formal point of audience and reception; while not a Vāstu rule itself, it reflects the institutional space where ritualized hospitality and court protocol occur.