Shloka 15

Matsya Purana — Procedure for Going to Prayaga and the Greatness of the Ganga

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र प्रयागं संस्तुवंश्च यत् यत्र ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः //

Transliteration

tato gaccheta rājendra prayāgaṃ saṃstuvaṃśca yat yatra brahmādayo devā ṛṣayaḥ siddhacāraṇāḥ //

Translation

Then, O best of kings, one should proceed to Prayāga, praising it—where Brahmā and the other gods, the sages, and the Siddhas and Cāraṇas are present.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/thereafter

• gacchet: should go/should proceed

• rājendra: O king of kings (best of kings)

• prayāgam: to Prayāga (the sacred confluence)

• saṃstuvan: praising/eulogizing

• ca: and

• yat: which/that (sacred place)

• yatra: where

• brahmā-ādayaḥ: Brahmā and the rest (beginning with Brahmā)

• devāḥ: gods

• ṛṣayaḥ: sages/seers

• siddha: perfected beings (Siddhas)

• cāraṇāḥ: celestial bards/attendant beings (Cāraṇas).

Speaker

• Lord Matsya (instructing Vaivasvata Manu / addressing a kingly interlocutor as 'rājendra')

Entities Mentioned

• Prayaga
• Brahma
• Devas
• Rishis
• Siddhas
• Charanas

Tags

• Tirtha
• Prayaga
• Pilgrimage
• Stuti
• Dharma

FAQs

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

This verse is not describing pralaya; it emphasizes tīrtha-mahātmya—Prayāga’s sanctity as a locus where divine and perfected beings are said to gather.

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

It frames pilgrimage as a dharmic discipline: a king (or any devotee) should undertake tīrtha-yātrā with reverence, expressed through stuti (praise), reinforcing humility and religious merit.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

The ritual takeaway is the prescribed conduct of approaching a sacred site—going to Prayāga while praising it; no specific Vāstu or temple-construction rule is stated in this verse.