Shloka 9

Matsya Purana — Prayaga Mahatmya Begins: Yudhishthira’s Remorse

Devanagari script

येनाहं शीघ्रम् आमुञ्चे महापातकिकिल्बिषात् यत्र स्थित्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम् //

Transliteration

yenāhaṃ śīghram āmuñce mahāpātakikilbiṣāt yatra sthitvā naro yāti viṣṇulokamanuttamam //

Translation

By what means may I be quickly freed from the taint of great sins; and by abiding in what does a man attain the unsurpassed realm of Viṣṇu (Viṣṇuloka)?

Word by Word

• yena: by which (means)

• aham: I

• śīghram: quickly

• āmuñce: may be released / may I cast off

• mahā-pātaka: great sin (heinous transgression)

• kilbiṣāt: from impurity/taint, guilt

• yatra: where / in which (state, observance, refuge)

• sthitvā: having remained / abiding

• naraḥ: a man

• yāti: goes, attains

• viṣṇu-lokam: the world/realm of Viṣṇu

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, supreme

Speaker

• Vaivasvata Manu (questioning Lord Matsya/Vishnu about expiation and liberation)

Entities Mentioned

• Viṣṇu (Viṣṇuloka)
• Nara (the human aspirant)

Tags

• Prāyaścitta
• Mahāpātaka
• Mokṣa
• Viṣṇuloka
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse does not describe pralaya directly; it frames a spiritual-ethical concern—how one is freed from grave sin and reaches Viṣṇu’s supreme realm—showing the Purana’s focus on liberation alongside cosmology.

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

It reflects the ruler/householder’s need for moral accountability: even those burdened by major transgressions must seek proper purification and a Viṣṇu-centered path, aligning governance and household life with dharma and inner rectitude.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

No vastu or temple-architecture rule is stated in this verse; its ritual implication is prāyaścitta—formal means of purification and sustained religious observance or refuge that leads to Viṣṇuloka.