Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

श्रवणात्तस्य तीर्थस्य नामसंकीर्तनादपि मृत्तिकालम्भनाद्वापि नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते //

Transliteration

śravaṇāttasya tīrthasya nāmasaṃkīrtanādapi mṛttikālambhanādvāpi naraḥ pāpātpramucyate //

Translation

By merely hearing of that sacred tīrtha, by chanting its name, or even by applying its holy earth to the body, a person is released from sin.

Word by Word

श्रवणात् (śravaṇāt)by hearing

तस्य (tasya)of that

तीर्थस्य (tīrthasya)of the sacred place/ford (tīrtha)

नाम-संकीर्तनात् (nāma-saṃkīrtanāt)by chanting the name (devout repetition)

अपि (api)even/also

मृत्तिका (mṛttikā)earth/clay (sacred soil)

आलम्भनात् (ālambhanāt)by applying/smearing/touching (taking support of)

वा अपि (vā api)or even

नरः (naraḥ)a person/man

पापात् (pāpāt)from sin

प्रमुच्यते (pramucyate)is freed/released.

Speaker

Suta (narrator) conveying the Matsya Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya teaching

Entities Mentioned

Tirtha (sacred ford/place)

FAQs

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

This verse is not about Pralaya; it teaches a tirtha-mahatmya principle—sin is removed through devotional contact with a sacred place via hearing, name-chanting, or using its sacred earth.

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

It supports everyday dharma by prescribing accessible purification: a householder (and a king guiding public religion) can promote hearing sacred accounts, organized nāma-saṃkīrtana, and proper tirtha observances as ethical means to reduce papa and cultivate punya.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it highlights mṛttikā (sacred earth) as a purifier—used by smearing or touching—indicating the sanctity of place-based materials in pilgrimage practice (a principle often paired with bathing, worship, and vow-taking at tirthas).